BERLIN 

German police launched a large-scale operation Tuesday against a suspected far-right group believed to have acquired military-grade weapons, including fully automatic firearms, authorities said.

The raids targeted eight individuals aged 32 to 57 who are believed to have formed an armed group based on right-wing extremist ideology, according to a joint statement from the Celle Public Prosecutor's Office and Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office.

Authorities conducted searches at more than a dozen locations across three German states: Lower Saxony (Hannover region, Hildesheim city and district), Baden-Wurttemberg (Pforzheim district), and North Rhine-Westphalia (Lippe district).

The operation involved special police forces and built upon earlier investigative measures that had already led to the seizure of a pistol and ammunition. According to the statement, a primary goal of Tuesday's raids was to locate and secure additional weapons while gathering information about the group's activities.

The police action comes amid growing concern about far-right extremism in Germany, where authorities have intensified efforts to combat politically motivated violence and illegal weapons possession among extremist groups.

Official figures show that neo-Nazis and far-right extremists committed 42,788 crimes in Germany last year—the highest number in over a decade. They perpetrated 1,488 violent attacks against migrants, refugees, or political opponents, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. These attacks left at least 1,068 people injured.