Portuguese police arrest 37 in operation against neo-Nazi group

​​​​​​​By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Portuguese police arrested 37 people Tuesday in a large-scale operation targeting a neo-Nazi group accused of intimidating ethnic minorities and migrants.

The operation, coordinated by the National Counterterrorism Unit, involved 300 officers conducting 65 searches. An additional 15 people were named as suspects, said police.

“The detainees, aged between 30 and 54, adopted and promoted Nazi ideology associated with National Socialist culture and radical, violent far-right extremism,” police said in a statement. “They acted on racist and xenophobic motives, with the objective of intimidating, persecuting and coercing ethnic minorities, particularly immigrants.”

Police said the suspects founded a criminal organization with the sole purpose of inciting discrimination, hatred and racial violence.

“The group operated within a firmly established hierarchical structure, with clearly defined roles,” police added.

Police said they seized large amounts of far-right propaganda material, as well as weapons and tactical equipment.

The Diario de Noticias newspaper reported that police targeted the ultranationalist Grupo 1143, led by Mario Machado, who has previously been sentenced to prison for inciting hatred.