Around 290 police forces searched several apartments in the Neumarkt district on Wednesday morning. According to the Oberpfalz police headquarters, the background to the large-scale operation was indications that attacks on the nationwide power grid were being prepared there.
The plan: cutting off the power supply in large parts of Germany
The police initially spoke of possible acts of sabotage on “critical infrastructure in the Federal Republic of Germany”. It has now become known that the suspects apparently intended to interrupt the power supply in large parts of the Federal Republic by attacking the pylons of large power lines. The police did not want to give details of how the men wanted to proceed. According to a police spokesman, no explosives were found on the men.
Firearms and ammunition seized
During the large-scale search of several apartments and buildings in the district of Neumarkt, officials – as announced on Thursday – secured around 70 firearms, including 21 handguns and 54 long guns, such as rifles from the hunting area. The men legally owned most of the weapons, but such authorizations were not available for a total of 15 weapons. In addition, the police seized tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as laptops and mobile phones, which are now to be evaluated.
Group probably acted on their own
Six German men between the ages of 34 and 59 are suspected. The group had known each other for a long time, according to a police spokesman when asked by BR. According to previous knowledge, the men probably acted on their own. So far there have been no indications that they are part of a radical network. At first there was talk of them possibly being so-called preppers.
The search operation in the district of Neumarkt took place to “police avert danger” and was carried out with a court order, it said. Riot police forces and special units from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria were also involved.
Interior Minister praises police work
Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) described the campaign as a complete success. “Our investigators have struck a sensitive blow against a group with ruthless and anti-constitutional intentions,” Herrmann said in a statement on Wednesday. In the planned acts of sabotage, the suspects were targeting large power lines, it said.
Were suspects Reich citizens?
There have been no arrests so far. The police investigations are ongoing. Among other things, it is about possible illegal possession of weapons. In addition, the police are investigating indications that the suspected men are members of the Reich citizen scene.
💡 What are preppers?
The term “prepper” is derived from English and means something like “to be prepared”. This scene is originally from the USA. Preppers prepare for what they anticipate a collapse in public order. They doubt that state crisis prevention works in such cases. So they stockpile food and weapons and do survival training. Some of them are assigned to the extreme right-wing spectrum or the “Reich Citizens” movement.