German police find illegal guns at suspected coup plotter's houses
German police have seized numerous weapons and ammunition belonging to a man linked to the Reichsbürger or "Reich Citizens" coup movement.
Public prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert said on Friday that documents and other evidence found in raids in the western German city of Wuppertal suggest the 52-year-old was "at the very least a believer in conspiracy theories associated with the Reichsbürger scene."
The Reichsbürger far-right movement is a loose association of people who do not recognize the legitimacy of the German state and wish to overthrow the government.
Although the man is a hunter, most of the weapons were not registered on his gun licence and were therefore illegal, Baumert told dpa.
A photograph published by the police showed 18 long and short-barrelled weapons which had been seized from two residential properties.
In addition, a "not inconsiderable amount of ammunition" had also been found in calibres that could not be used in hunting guns, Baumert said.
The man is now being investigated over offences against the Weapons Act, but has been released while enquiries continue. If he is charged and found guilty, he faces a fine or prison sentence.
Authorities are also considering revoking his hunting licence along with his gun ownership card.
In December, prosecutors filed the first criminal charges against a total of 27 people arrested during high-profile raids against suspected Reichsbürger members.
