The number of outstanding arrest warrants in the area of ​​politically motivated crime (PMK) and overall has increased in the last six months.

At the end of March, a total of 185,490 arrest warrants were stored in the police search computers, 8,491 from the political sector, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior to a request from the AfD parliamentary group, which is available to the German Press Agency.

As of the last reporting date at the end of September 2021, there were fewer outstanding arrest warrants overall (182,707) and fewer in the area of ​​politically motivated crime (8224).

The PMK data are collected every six months.

The figures include both German and international arrest warrants.

It is about a search request either because of specific crimes, because of the execution of a sentence or because of a planned deportation.

About 45 percent of outstanding arrest warrants involve crimes related to theft, fraud or drug abuse.

Crimes such as arson, assault, robbery or extortion account for a total of around 13 percent.

12,712 open arrest warrants (6.9 percent) relate to serious crimes such as murder, manslaughter, manslaughter, sexual offences, human trafficking or deprivation of liberty.

There are also crimes against public order (6.9 percent), in road traffic (5.4), violations of the Residence Act (5.4) and other offenses.

More international arrest warrants for Islamists

The Ministry points out that the number of arrest warrants should not be equated with the number of persons wanted, since one person could have several arrest warrants.

In addition, arrest warrants against extremists do not always have to be about politically motivated acts.

A criminal from this spectrum can also be wanted for a drug offense, for example.

In the field of politically motivated crime, however, the numbers in the categories “right” (752 open arrest warrants, previously 788) and “left” (117, previously 128) have fallen.

As of the reporting date, most of the searches concerned suspected Islamists: with 6,880 searches, there were almost 300 more than on the last reporting date in September 2021 (previously 6,583).

The Interior Ministry justifies the increase with an increased number of international arrest warrants.

"These are advertisements from non-German nationals who (should) have for the most part participated in combat operations in jihad areas." ministry.

According to the information, a total of 133 so-called dangerous persons were wanted by arrest warrant at the end of March.

These are people who are believed to be capable of serious, politically motivated acts of violence up to and including terrorist attacks (September 2021: 143).

Of these, 124 were assigned to Islamism (Sept.: 132), seven to "foreign ideology" (eight), one person to the right (previously two) and one to the left (previously also one).

The parliamentary manager of the AfD parliamentary group, Stephan Brandner, called for "a targeted and ruthless action against Islamists".

One must stop defining the fight against right-wing extremism as the only goal.