ZURICH (Reuters) – Austrian police have confiscated a large number of automatic weapons, ammunition and grenades aimed at armed right-wing extremist groups in Germany, Interior Minister Carl Nehmer said on Saturday.
Nehmar told a news conference in Vienna that five people had been arrested following a series of house searches. “We have dealt a massive blow to the right-wing extremist scene and organized crime in Austria, and how they are connected,” Nehmer told reporters.
The group created the arsenal with the goal of attacking society, democracy and fundamental freedoms, Nehmar added.
The minister said the raids were initially conducted as part of an investigation into drug-related crimes, but authorities also found links between far-right groups and organized crime.
The network was active in Germany, and authorities in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia were also involved in the investigation.
Michael Mimra of the State Criminal Police Office in Vienna said the raids led to the seizure of 25 semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of drug trafficking.
The trip included Uji sub-machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, Scorpion machine guns and ammunition, Mimra said.
More weapons and ammunition were seized on Thursday, while more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition were found in a warehouse in Austria.
A total of 76 automatic and semi-automatic weapons were recovered, including 14 handguns and ammunition and six grenades, as well as detonators and ammunition. Some were packed for traffic.
Meanwhile investigations in Germany led to two arrests and the confiscation of large quantities of drugs, Mimra said.
Investigators are now trying to establish the origin of the weapons and forensic tests to see if they were used in the crimes. “The investigation has only just begun,” Mimra said. “It’s going to last a while.”
(Reported by John Reville; Editing by David Holmes)