Austrian police have seized dozens of weapons and 100,000 pieces of ammunition that were partly intended to arm an extremist far-right militia in Germany.
This was announced on Saturday by Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, writes DW.
During this week’s raids, law enforcement officers found 76 semi-automatic and automatic weapons, 14 pistols, more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, as well as six hand grenades, and various types of explosives. Among the weapons were Kalashnikov assault rifles, Scorpions, and Uzi.
The chief of police of Vienna Gerhard Pursel called this operation the largest in recent decades and said that the weapons were to be used for arming extremist groups in Bavaria.
In Austria, five suspects were detained in the case. Two people were arrested separately in Bavaria. The investigation is also ongoing in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The weapon was discovered during an operation to combat drug smuggling from Germany to Austria. Investigators later discovered that the suspects were also linked to the arms trade.
Austrian police also linked the arrests to a motorcycle club.
German intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about the threat from far-right extremists, especially after the rise in political crimes and the participation of the far-right in protests against coronavirus restrictions.
