Wednesday, May 21
Large-scale raids targets teenage far-right terror cell
Brass knuckles, one-handed knives, blank-firing guns, and ball-bearing bombs — these were among the weapons uncovered by police earlier this year during raids on the far-right extremist group “Letzte Verteidigungs Welle” (“Last Wave of Defence”). On Wednesday morning, a large-scale operation across Germany culminated in the arrest of five more alleged members of the group, including one in Brandenburg.
All five suspects are between 14 and 18 years old. Prosecutors allege they were planning violent attacks on targets including refugee shelters and political opponents. The group is suspected of carrying out an arson attack on a cultural centre in Altdöbern in October 2024, and of planning another attack on accommodation for asylum seekers in January 2025.
Charges brought by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office include attempted murder, arson, and property damage. A spokesperson stated that the group’s intended goal was “to bring about a collapse of the democratic system in the Federal Republic of Germany through acts of violence, primarily against migrants and political opponents.”
