Germany: Police seize weapons in raid on far-right group

Dw – Authorities said the suspects, allegedly linked to the far-right extremist group “Berserker-Clan,” had talked about “an armed uprising” against German institutions.Police said on Wednesday they have searched 14 premises across Germany that are allegedly linked to far-right extremist groups. The premises searched are allegedly linked to 15 suspects believed to be members of a far-right extremist group that calls itself “Berserker Clan,” police said.

Police raided buildings in Berlin, the northern Schleswig-Holstein state, the southwestern Baden-Württemberg state and the central state of Hesse.Security forces seized firearms, ammunition and other weapons, as well as drugs and doping substances, according to the police.  Germany: Police seize weapons in raid on far-right group

‘An armed uprsising’

Police and the public prosecutor’s office accuse the 15 suspects of forming, or being members of, a criminal organization. The far-right extremist group members had been communicating about the preparation for a so-called “Day X,” authorities said. According to investigators, this meant “an armed uprising” against German institutions.

Over the past year, Germany has seen a rise in extremist groups. A report by the German intelligence agency BfV showed that this year 40% of the 33,300 far-right extremists in the country were categorized as “violence-oriented,” the highest proportion ever. There had been a 10% rise in the number of far-right violent crimes over the past year to 1,023, of which 842 were cases of physical assault, according to the BfV. There was also a significant rise in the number of violent far-left crimes, the BfV said. Germany: Police seize weapons in raid on far-right group