Another Neo-Nazi group called "Combat 18" has been found to be active in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), where far-right extremist crimes remain high.
The German Interior Ministry revealed that there are currently nine members of the group and they reportedly participated in shooting practice abroad.
According to the ministry, crimes committed by far-right extremists in NRW remained at a high level with 3,767 offenses recorded in 2018. Of these, 217 were violent crimes, the report reveals.
The number of right-wing extremist offenses rose slightly from 3,764 in the previous year in 2017. "This shows the high level of violence of the scene. Right-wing extremists appear increasingly violent at demonstrations or events," said Verena Schäffer, spokesperson for the regional Green Party faction, as reported by RP Online.
German authorities are increasingly concerned over growing right-wing terrorism in the country. The Interior Ministry said the lists were found in various police investigations and operations against far-right groups in the last seven years. Since 2016, Germany has conducted an increasing number of nationwide raids targeting right-wing groups, including houses, apartments and other properties believed to be owned by members of such groups, targeting the so-called "Reich citizens' movement," known as the Reichsbürgers.
Germany's extremist "Reich Citizen" and "Selbstverwalter" sovereign citizen movements are rapidly growing and their members are prepared to commit "the most serious acts of violence," according to an earlier report in the German daily, Bild.
"Reich Citizens" and "Selbstverwalter" refers to a loose grouping of people in Germany who do not recognize the authority of the current system of government. There is no unified structure and several groups use the names despite very different belief systems.
Lately, Germany has been shaken by more than 100 bomb and death threats sent by neo-Nazi groups to lawyers, politicians and institutions in recent weeks, revealing the threat of a growing neo-Nazi presence in the country.
In July 2018, far-right groups have drawn up several "enemy lists" containing names and addresses of more than 25,000 people, a parliamentary inquiry revealed.
