25 arrested amid suspected coup plot in Germany

At least 25 people have been arrested and detained in Germany amid coup scare, authorities in the country have said

The arrest was carried out across 11 states in Germany after security operatives got wind of intelligence that there was a plot to overthrow the government.

Heinrich XIII, a German noble, who wants to oust the German government violently and is thought to have the support of the Russian government, is one of the accused coup plotters and ringleaders.

Federal prosecutors said Mr Heinrich was among those arrested across 11 states in Germany on Wednesday, as well as other plotters suspected to be members of the extremist Reichsbürger movement, also known as adherents of the Reich movement.

The Reich movement adherents were suspected of “having made concrete preparations to violently force their way into the German parliament with a small armed group,” per a statement by the prosecutors.

The foiled coup would have had extremists storm the German Capitol, harass and arrest parliamentarians and then execute the chancellor, paving the way for Mr Heinrich, said to be a prince of German royal ancestry, to become the new head of state, according to the prosecutors.

They disclosed that 3000 police officers and special forces were deployed for the operation, raiding about 150 homes to find the coup conspirators.

A former officer in the elite forces, a police officer and a soldier still in active service are among the 25 persons arrested on Wednesday.

Items recovered include a list that contained 18 names of politicians presumably to be arrested, deported or executed, according to The New York Times.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the names seen on the list.

Meanwhile, the Russian government has denied involvement in the plot, claiming no interference from President Vladimir Putin’s regime.

“This appears to be a German internal problem,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There can be no question of any Russian interference.”