:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/JNMZSOOR6NAEFDH7FVYKGCRDGE.jpg "Right-wing extremists suspected of preparing bomb arrested in Cologne")
The police of Cologne, in the west of Germany, detained four alleged right-wing extremists on Thursday after searching their homes on suspicion that they were preparing to build a bomb.
Special forces combed the homes of the four suspects, between 36 and 53 years old, with dogs trained in the detection of explosives, according to the police in a statement, explaining that explosive substances and pyrotechnic materials had been found.
“According to the investigations carried out to date, there is a suspicion that the individuals acquired substances for the construction of an explosive device,” added the note released to the media, in which the detainees were described as “partly belonging to circles of extreme right”.
The police also seized mobile phones, hard drives and a “considerable” amount of narcotics, although details about the suspects’ possible plans were not disclosed at the moment.
On Tuesday, the homes of six ultra-right-wing anti-vaccines allegedly planning an attack against the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer were searched in the federal state of Saxony (east).
In them, the police found weapons, including crossbows, although at the moment no arrests have been made related to the case.
In recent days, several political representatives have expressed concern about the growing radicalization of the pandemic denialist movement, in many cases linked to the extreme right.
The new Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, has defined the extreme right as the “greatest threat” that currently exists against the democratic order.