Police investigation: Reich citizens owned numerous illegal firearms

Created: 12/16/2022, 9:20 p.m

By: Stefanie Fischhaber

Illegal weapons were confiscated during the Reichsbürger raid.

(Archive image) © Gianni Gattus/ dpa

After the nationwide raid in the Reichsbürger milieu, the investigators discovered illegal weapons in the suspects' possession.

Hundreds of other guns are legally in their possession. 

Berlin – Last week, 25 suspected members of the Reichsbürger movement were arrested in a Germany-wide raid because they were preparing to overthrow the state.

Police seized at least 10 illegal firearms during an investigation.

The suspects have nearly a hundred guns in total.

Raid in the Reichsbürger milieu: Suspects have swords, crossbows and firearms

On Wednesday last week, the federal prosecutor arrested 25 suspects, including former officers and police officers.

Experts expect further arrests in this connection.

Weapons were found on the suspects, including swords, crossbows and firearms.

In addition, one of the accused is said to have had access to other weapons as an arms dealer.

In addition, more than 90 weapons are legally assigned to the more than 54 suspects in the national weapons register.

63 of these are therefore assigned to the arms dealer, 20 of which are private and 43 presumably commercial.

Investigations against Reich citizens: Illegal weapons and Bundeswehr ammunition found

"According to the current status of the investigation, at least ten seized/seized weapons are illegally obtained firearms," ​​writes the Ministry of the Interior.

Some of the firearms are currently still being stored in a way that does not damage the traces and are gradually being properly inspected by the forensic technical departments involved.

"A final assessment of whether these weapons are illegally or legally obtained firearms can only be made after the investigations have been completed," the ministry said.

According to information from

, ammunition from Bundeswehr stocks was also discovered during the large-scale "Reichsbürger" raid.

As the German Press Agency reports, there are a little more than 100 cartridges from two lot numbers.

Lot numbers are industrial numbers of the production batch.

It's about rifle ammunition in caliber 5.56 mm and combat ammunition, i.e. live ammunition.

Hundreds of Reich citizens still own weapons

As the Ministry of the Interior reports to Der Spiegel, over 1,050 Reich citizens have had their firearms confiscated in recent years.

At the moment, however, more than 500 members of the milieu still had their weapons.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is therefore pushing for further tightening of the gun law.

She also called for a change in the law in order to be able to take tougher action within the authorities in the future.