Germany arrests far-right suspects, ex-soldiers over coup plot

BERLIN (AA) - German police arrested a group of far-right figures and ex-military officers for planning attacks to create nationwide chaos and seize power, authorities said on Wednesday.

In the large-scale raid, 3,000 security officers were deployed and the house searches took place in 11 German states, a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office German news agency DPA.

According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, a group within the far-right Reichsbuerger Movement is said to have planned a coup.

Twenty-two of those arrested are said to be members of a terrorist organization. In addition, there are 27 other suspects, said the spokeswoman.

The suspects also included a soldier of Germany's elite KSK special forces unit of the army and several reservists of the Bundeswehr.

According to the Bild newspaper, a former lawmaker from the right-wing AfD is also said to be among those arrested.

The members of the Reichsburger movement are groups and individuals who reject the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany and its legal system for various motives and on different grounds.

Many refuse to pay taxes and they are often in conflict with authorities. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates that the scene has around 21,000 followers.