A group is said to have planned to defend itself against Corona measures with weapons in 2021. Their alleged leader has now been caught in Portugal. The case is reminiscent of other groups.
A suspected ringleader of a group who, according to investigators, also wanted to use weapons to defend themselves against Corona measures in Germany was arrested in Portugal and has been wanted for months. The Koblenz public prosecutor’s office said the 39-year-old German is in custody in Portugal for extradition.
The man who last lived in Bavaria, against whom charges were brought to the State Protection Chamber of the Koblenz Regional Court in June 2023, is said to have formed a criminal organization and an armed group called “Paladin” with two other accused from February to May 2021. There were no indications of attack plans.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the 39-year-old is said to have produced weapon parts using a 3D printer and trained group members. The man’s whereabouts had been unknown since June of this year at the latest. The arrest in Portugal took place in November. It is not yet known whether and when the man will be transferred to Germany. The public prosecutor’s office did not provide any further details, citing the personal rights of the accused.
Mann had colleagues from Rhineland-Palatinate
The ARD political magazine “Panorama” (NDR) and the NDR research format “STRG_F” had previously reported on it. As part of investigations into the manufacture of weapons, the investigators are said to have come across evidence that the 39-year-old did not arm himself alone.
According to the report, he is said to have tried to find colleagues and network using messenger services or social media. According to reports, the 39-year-old, wanted with a European arrest warrant, comes from the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, just like a 56-year-old and a 63-year-old suspect. When asked, the public prosecutor’s office said there was a crime scene in Rhineland-Palatinate. This results in the responsibility of the authority.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, forming a criminal organization can result in up to five years in prison. In particularly serious cases, for example if a perpetrator is one of the ringleaders, a prison sentence of up to ten years can be imposed. Forming an armed group can be punished with a prison sentence of up to two years.
Similar case
The alleged group “Paladin” is reminiscent of the “United Patriots” group. The trial against several alleged members of this group is currently underway at the Koblenz Higher Regional Court (OLG). The four men and one woman in the dock are accused of wanting to found or being members of a domestic terrorist organization.
The “United Patriots” are said to have planned, among other things, to cause a large-scale power outage and to kidnap Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). They are then said to have planned the overthrow of Germany and the establishment of a new constitution based on the model of the German Empire in 1871.
During the trial, one of the defendants, for example, described in detail his path into the scene of opponents of Corona measures and reported that he saw Germany on the way to a dictatorship during the pandemic.
Source: Stern
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