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French police on duty (symbolic image)
Photo: imago images / Mandoga Media
After checking two young men in Normandy, French customs investigators came across a large arsenal and objects with swastikas.
The two 25-year-old men, one of whom belongs to an army infantry regiment, are in custody, as prosecutor Dominique Puechmaille told the German press agency in Évreux.
During a vehicle inspection, the investigators initially discovered some weapons in the two’s car.
During subsequent apartment searches, they then came across an arsenal of weapons, explosives and objects marked with swastikas in a shed that is said to belong to a grandfather of the two.
200 kilograms of ammunition
As reported by the newspaper Le Monde and the AFP news agency, there were at least 130 firearms, including combat rifles, submachine guns, pump guns and 200 kilograms of ammunition.
Grenades were also found.
77 of the weapons were, however, unusable.
In addition, the investigators came across right-wing propaganda material, posters and badges.
The investigators' access was preceded by investigations by the security authorities.
Now possible connections of the two men in the right-wing extremist scene and possible terrorist references would be examined, wrote "Le Monde" with reference to police sources.
AFP reports that the French secret service had already observed the men because of their proximity to the right-wing extremist scene.
The public prosecutor's office refused to provide any information on these details.
ptz / dpa / AFP