Soon the story was news all over the world. People in New Zealand and in many other countries helped the police with information. After a few days the New Zealand police found and took away two French people, Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur. They were working for the French army, and they helped with the attack on the Rainbow Warrior.
At first the French government said that they knew nothing about the attack. But in September 1985, Prime Minister Laurent Fabius finally said that the divers attacked the ship after the French government told them to do it. Mafart and Prieur had to go to prison for ten years, but in fact they left after three years. Frenche paid New Zealand seven million dollars because of the attack.