450 police officers deployed in raid against Rostock, Essen fans

Around 450 federal police officers were deployed on Tuesday in a large-scale raid against suspected violent criminals from fan groups of German third division football clubs Hansa Rostock and Rot-Weiss Essen, reported dpa.

Search warrants for 31 apartments in four German states were executed, including Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, police spokeswoman Alina Müller said. The 31 suspects were already known to the police for violence and criminal offences in the fan scene.

The police broke into three apartments because. In several places, officers found explosive devices and other pyrotechnics in various places.

“This apparently planned excess of violence must have clear consequences,” said German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, who's also in charge of sports.

“Such excesses of violence can be life-threatening - even more so in rail traffic. Such violent offenders destroy football. They harm uninvolved fans, the clubs and the general public,” she added.

Rostock and Essen fans targeted by the investigations are said to have deliberately arranged a violent confrontation on a train to Rostock on October 26, 2024.

The train was stopped in Brandenburg by an emergency break, Müller said. Essen fans then got off the train and got into a fight with the Rostock fans, who were waiting at the station.

Before the police arrived, Essen fans disappeared back into the badly damaged train, while Rostock fans fled.