Leader of yoga group and his supporters detained in France

French police have apprehended Gregorian Bivolaru, a fugitive leader of a yoga sect, along with 40 of his followers. The raids were conducted by 175 officers on different branches of the group, known as Misa or Atman. During the operation, police discovered 26 women being held in appalling conditions. French prosecutors had initiated an investigation into the sect in July on charges of abuse, rape, human trafficking, and kidnapping. Bivolaru, a 71-year-old Romanian, was arrested in the Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine, alongside other sect leaders. The allegations against the group include claims of coerced sexual activities and pornography involvement. Authorities began coordinating the raids after victims reported women being held against their will. Bivolaru had previously been convicted of engaging in sexual activities with a minor in Romania in 2013 and was extradited from France in 2016. In 2017, he fled Romania when conditionally released and is currently sought after in Finland on suspicion of human trafficking. Bivolaru established Misa, also known as Atman, in Romania in the 1990s, expanding the movement globally to nearly 30 countries, promoting "erotic tantric yoga." Former members of the group have accused Bivolaru, who refers to himself as a guru, of coercing them into participating in sexual acts and surrendering large sums of money. While he has refuted previous criminal accusations, the Atman International Federation for Yoga and Meditation website dismisses past allegations as "fabricated facts." Bivolaru documented his experiences in a book on tantric yoga and relationships, claiming to have achieved paranormal accomplishments in his teenage years and starting his yoga teachings in 1978.