Austrian anti-terrorism police have taken into custody a suspected neo-Nazi couple for possessing a massive cache of illegal firearms, more than a ton of ammunition and a collection of Nazi memorabilia.
The arrest was made in Baden by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Fight Against Terrorism in Lower Austria, WJAC 6 reported.
The arsenal of dozens of weapons included heavy machine guns, machine guns, handguns, a hand grenade, pipe bombs, explosive materials, a sniper rifle with a scope, pump-action shotguns, firearms with silencers, 2,646 pounds of ammunition, brass knuckles, knives, pepper spray and tasers.
Many of the firearms were loaded.
Also discovered by police was a bust of German General Erwin Rommel, a Nazi propaganda icon during World War II.
Authorities added that they had also confiscated “a steel helmet with a swastika, other Nazi devotional objects (flyers, medals, coins) and various relevant literature.”
Footage of the seized items was released by the State Office.
Video footage shows a massive cache of dozens of firearms laid on on the floor, including multiple machine guns, rifles, rifles with scopes, a pump-action shotgun, handguns, vintage machine guns from World War II, an AK-47 and several Uzis.
Police said a gun ban had been enacted against the couple, who are both 53.
An investigation has been opened to see if the pair have ties to extremist groups.
Details on charges the couple might face have not been released.
“The fight against right-wing extremism is still very much topical. The man and his wife will be reported to the responsible district administrative authority and the public prosecutor’s office in Wiener Neustadt on the basis of the seized items,” the Austrian government said in a statement.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)