Investigators in Rhineland-Palatinate have broken up a right-wing extremist chat group.

The members of the group “United Patriots” are said to have planned attacks and kidnappings, as the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and the Attorney General Koblenz announced on Thursday in Mainz.

Four suspects were arrested.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was informed by the investigators that there were plans for his kidnapping, as the AFP news agency learned from Berlin ministry circles.

The investigators had already announced the break-up of the group on Wednesday;

now they shared details.

A total of five people are considered the main suspects.

Specifically, the investigators accuse them of preparing explosive attacks, preparing a serious act of violence that is dangerous to the state, and violating the Weapons and War Weapons Control Act.

Their goal is said to have been to destroy power supply facilities in order to cause a prolonged nationwide power outage.

According to the group members, this was intended to cause “civil war-like conditions” in order to overthrow the democratic system in Germany.

As part of the investigation into the chat group, 20 properties in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia were searched on Wednesday.

There were most missions with five in Rhineland-Palatinate, there were three each in Bavaria and Lower Saxony.

Around 270 officers, including special units, were deployed.

Weapons, ammunition, cash, gold bars and silver coins were seized. 

According to the investigators, Germans aged 55, 54, 50, 42 and 41 are accused.

The people of the Corona protest scene and the Reich Citizens' Movement can be assigned.

This combination is what is special about this group, said LKA President Johannes Kunz.

The main suspect is said to be a 55-year-old from Neustadt an der Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate and from Brandenburg.

The 55-year-old was arrested when preparing to hand over a weapon.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) does not want to be intimidated by the kidnapping plans of radical corona deniers and Reich citizens.

“Some Covid deniers are not concerned with the fight against vaccinations or corona requirements.

They are fighting against our basic democratic order," Lauterbach told the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag".

"But they won't be able to do that.

I will not let this deter me, but will continue to support the entire population.”