BERLIN

German officials on Tuesday raided the houses of more than a dozen active and retired police officers suspected of being members of a neo-Nazi chat group.

Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, told a press conference in Duesseldorf that besides the houses of the suspects, the police headquarters in Essen was also searched by officials to gather evidence of possible crimes.

The suspects were in a WhatsApp group called Kunta Kinte, where they shared hundreds of messages, photos, and videos, including pictures of Adolf Hitler and swastikas, according to the minister.

The investigation started in September has revealed that at least 191 police officers have taken part in such neo-Nazi chat groups.