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Polish and German authorities dismantle extremist militant group of “Saxon Separatists”

05.11.2024 13:30
Polish and German police have dismantled a militant far-right extremist group known as the “Saxon Separatists,” resulting in the arrests of eight individuals, primarily in Germany’s Saxony region but also in Poland.
05 November 2024, Saxony, Dresden: Police officers stand in a building entrance in the Cotta district of Dresden during a raid against suspected right-wing extremists. The federal prosecutors office has arrested eight suspected right-wing terrorists in Saxony and Poland. At the same time, around 20 properties are being searched, according to the K
05 November 2024, Saxony, Dresden: Police officers stand in a building entrance in the Cotta district of Dresden during a raid against suspected right-wing extremists. The federal prosecutor's office has arrested eight suspected right-wing terrorists in Saxony and Poland. At the same time, around 20 properties are being searched, according to the KPhoto: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

The leader of the group was apprehended in Zgorzelec, Poland.

The operation involved officers from Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW), who identified the group’s leader as 23-year-old German national, Jörge S. He faces charges of establishing and participating in a terrorist organization considered a “militant neo-Nazi right-wing extremist group.”

Authorities report that the group’s objective was to overthrow Germany’s socio-political system through violence, with plans to establish an independent state in Eastern Germany adhering to Nazi ideology. Members of the organization allegedly engaged in paramilitary training with combat equipment and had acquired military gear, including camouflage suits, combat helmets, gas masks, and protective vests.

The cross-border operation spanned Germany, Austria, and Poland, involving searches of approximately 20 locations and the deployment of 500 police officers. The detainees are expected to appear shortly before Germany’s Federal Court of Justice, which will determine further legal proceedings.

German officials indicate that the group, which formed four years ago, was primarily active in Saxony and aimed to seize power through military action in regions surrounding Leipzig and Dresden.

(jh)

Source: PAP, AP