Police foil extremist plot to kidnap Germany's health minister
A plot to kidnap Germany's health minister and destroy the company's electricity supply facilities has been foiled, say authorities.
Prosecutors in Koblenz and Rhineland-Palatinate's state criminal police office said raids were carried out at 20 properties across Germany Wednesday following an investigation launched in October.
The suspects were members of a chat group called “United Patriots” on the Telegram messaging service.
Investigators said the suspects were associated with the protest movement against coronavirus restrictions and with the Reich Citizens movement, which disputes the legitimacy of the post-World War II German constitution and, by extension, the current government. In all, 12 people are under investigation.
Authorities said the group's declared aim was to destroy electricity supply facilities and cause a long blackout across the country, with the goal of producing “conditions similar to civil war” and ultimately overthrowing the country's democratic system.
Police seized 22 firearms, including a Kalashnikov rifle, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, thousands of euros in cash, and numerous gold bars and silver coins. They also found forged COVID-19 vaccination and test certificates.
The group allegedly planned to kidnap well-known public figures. Investigators said that included health minister Karl Lauterbach.
Lauterbach said he was “appalled” by the news and thanked investigators.
“The whole thing shows that corona protests have not just become more radical, but that it is now about more than corona — that there is an attempt here to destabilize the state,” he told reporters during a visit to Husum on Germany's North Sea coast. “This is a small minority in our society, but highly dangerous.”
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