German police raid properties in search for weapons, extremist links

German police were searching 15 properties in two western states for drugs, combat weapons and evidence of links to the radical Reichsbürger scene, which denies the legitimacy of the modern German state, reported dpa.

The raids involve specialized police units and are taking place in North Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony, police in the city of Osnabrück said on Thursday morning.

Properties in the cities of Osnabrück and Hanover were among those being searched.

So-called Reichsbürger, or "Reich Citizens," believe that the modern German republic illegitimately replaced the German Reich that was founded in 1871 and continued under the Nazi regime until 1945. They reject the legitimacy of Germany's modern federal state and its laws.

There have been repeated raids targeting the loosely organized group, which allegedly planned to violently overthrow the German government. The plot was uncovered in 2022.

Various alleged members, including suspected ringleader Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss, are currently on trial.