German police have arrested five adolescent suspects in searches against a purported far-right “terrorist” cell on suspicion of attacking political opponents and asylum seekers, according to federal prosecutors. Wednesday’s operation against a neo-Nazi organization identifying as “Last Defence Wave” was the most recent high-profile action against organizations Germany claims are attempting to undermine its democratic system.
Who are the teenagers behind Germany’s latest terror plot?
According to authorities, four of the people detained—identified only as Benjamin H, Ben-Maxim H, Lenny M, and Jason R—are thought to be affiliated with a “domestic terror organisation.” Jerome M, the fifth, is charged with aiding the gang. Two of the individuals are charged with aggravated arson and attempted murder. Between the ages of 14 and 18, all five are citizens of Germany.
In a statement, prosecutors said they were also looking into three additional individuals, ages 18 to 21, who are now being held in relation to the investigation.
How did Last Defence Wave plan to spark chaos?
The members of the group “see themselves as the last line of defence of the ‘German nation,'” according to the prosecution, who added that the arrests occurred in three states. Their goal is “to use acts of violence, mainly against migrants and political opponents, to bring about the collapse of the democratic system in the Federal Republic of Germany.”
It is thought that Ben-Maxim H wrote a speech that Lenny M recorded before the arson incident, urging other gang members to carry out similar deeds. Online discussions associated with the group, which included around 200 individuals, fostered widespread, politically driven assaults and extolled the Nazi dictatorship, according to national broadcaster ARD.
How close was the group to executing deadly attacks?
According to authorities, two more suspects broke a window at an asylum-seeker residence in Schmölln, eastern Germany, in January and made an unsuccessful attempt to ignite a fire by setting off fireworks inside. Several residents of the property at the time were fortunate to escape when two of the suspects reportedly set fire to a cultural centre in the eastern town of Altdöbern in October, according to the prosecution.
They are thought to have flashed the straight-armed Hitler salute while spraying the group’s initials, swastikas, and inscriptions like “foreigners out,” “Germany for the Germans,” and “Nazi territory” on a wall.
In the same month, three suspects reportedly obtained explosive material from the Czech Republic and plotted an arson assault on an asylum-seeker shelter in the eastern town of Senftenberg. However, two individuals were already arrested, allegedly utilizing the information obtained by an undercover television reporter, which prevented the claimed scheme from happening.
How are minors joining violent neo-Nazi organizations online?
According to news magazine Der Spiegel, Last Defence Wave set a minimum age of 15 and actively sought out new members via WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and TikTok. More than 70 chat rooms with alleged connections to the gang were discovered nationwide by investigators.
According to specialists cited by Der Spiegel, the rise in young people’s interest in violent
neo-Nazi organizations brought back memories of the infamous “baseball-bat years” following national reunification in 1990 when a wave of anti-leftist, racist, and gay crimes shook Germany.
In a different instance last week, officials detained four of the organization’s suspected organizers, including the kingpin Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed Peter I, and banned a cult-like far-right group named “Kingdom of Germany” as a threat to the nation’s democratic order. In an annual study published on Tuesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office stated that there were 1,488 violent crimes in Germany with a right-wing purpose, an increase of more than 17% from the previous year. That was one of 4,107 violent crimes with political motivations, a 15% rise overall.
