Five arrested in Germany for forming right-wing terror group

Five people were arrested in Germany on Tuesday on suspicion of founding a right-wing terror group to attack refugee homes and other facilities, prosecutors said.

The suspects were identified only as Justin S., Rico K., Maria K., Sebastian W. and Mike S. in line with German privacy rules. 

Federal prosecutors said that the “Freital Group” – named after a suburb of the eastern city of Dresden which has seen a string of anti-refugee protests and other incidents – was formed in July last year or earlier. They said several apartments in the state of Saxony were searched alongside the arrests of the five German nationals; four men and a woman aged between 18 and 39. The group acquired more than 100 firecrackers of various types from the Czech Republic, prosecutors said in a statement. Prosecutors are looking into whether they were behind any further attacks.

They said members are believed to have carried out three attacks in September and October two on refugee homes in Freital and the other on a left-wing housing project in Dresden.