Austrian authorities recently raided 13 homes in Upper and Lower Austria linked to the far-right biker scene, arresting six people and seizing many weapons and drugs, as well as equipment to make more in the future – equipment which, according to authorities, could only be amassed due to the pandemic.
On Monday, Austria’s authorities raided the 13 homes based on an investigation that started in 2021 against far-right bikers linked to the international biker group Bandidos.
In total, the authorities arrested six people and seized 35 rifles, 25 automatic rifles, 100 pistols, and parts to construct another estimated 400 signal guns and 10,000 shots of ammunition. Nazi memorabilia and drugs, including one kilo of cocaine and five kilos of cannabis, were also found.
The operation ended up being a “lasting blow against organised biker crime,” the Director General of Public Safety, Franz Ruf, said on Thursday.
Authorities also said the pandemic allowed the biker groups to amass so many weapons and drugs, with Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence noting that because of it, a “strong mobilisation potential has been noticeable in the far-right scene.”
“There has been a surge in professionalisation and an increased transfer of know-how through establishing international networks in the right-wing extremist scene,” he added.
Much like in neighbouring Germany, where armed anti-government extremists sought to topple the government, Haijawi-Pirchner notes that the combination of arms with right-wing extremism is extremely dangerous to the country.
“These weapon finds, combined with right-wing extremism, result in a highly dangerous interaction for the security of the Republic of Austria,” he stressed.
(Nikolaus J. Kurmayer | EURACTIV.de)
Read more with EURACTIV
French government gears up to face more violence after teen death
Source: euractiv.com
