German police have busted a suspected terrorist cell accused of plotting a far-right coup to overthrow the government, kill politicians and establish a military regime.
Prosecutors said 25 people were arrested, including an ex-MP and a minor prince, in early morning raids on Wednesday in Germany, Italy and Austria.
They revealed extraordinary details of a plot said to involve weapons training, planning for an interim government and attempts to win support in Russia.
Some of the suspects allegedly planned to storm Germany's parliament with a small armed group.
"The investigations give us a glimpse into the abyss of the terrorist threat," German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
"From what we know so far, the suspected terror group uncovered today is driven by violent coup fantasies and conspiracy theories."
Dozens of properties were searched in what was described as the biggest anti-terror raid in German history, involving more than 3,000 police officers.
The group allegedly included former soldiers and made particular efforts to recruit from the police and military, which have been plagued by extremist elements.
It was said to be inspired by so-called Reichsbuerger (Citizens of the Reich) ideology, a movement which rejects the legitimacy of the post-1945 German state.
Prosecutors said the plotters were also influenced by QAnon conspiracy theories and believed Germany was run by a "deep state".
One alleged ringleader was Prince Heinrich XIII, a descendant of German nobility who is said to have made contacts with Russia.
Prosecutors said an alleged intermediary, a Russian woman called Vitalia, was also arrested.
They said there was no evidence Heinrich's Russian interlocutors responded positively to him.
Heinrich allegedly led secret meetings of the group's ruling council in which detailed plans were made for a military regime.
It even mimicked a real government by appointing people to justice, health and foreign affairs portfolios, the federal prosecutors said.
Another suspect named as Birgit M-W was identified by German media as Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former MP from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
After leaving parliament last year, she was recently given approval by a Berlin court to return to her previous role as a judge.
The group's paramilitary arm had gone as far as acquiring weapons, taking shooting practice and preparing to set up militias, prosecutors said.
"Members of the organisation know that their intentions can only be carried out with the use of military means and violence against government officials," a statement said.
"The organisation knows that people would be killed, but accepts this because it regards it as a necessary step to change the system on all levels."
In total, 22 suspected members and three suspected supporters of a far-right terrorist group were detained in the raids in 11 states.
They were due to appear before a judge on Wednesday and Thursday.
The security forces raided more than 100 properties across the country in the co-ordinated early morning raids.
The operation began at 6am at a house in the Wannsee residential area of Berlin, reports said. Minutes later, a hunting lodge in the east was raided.
The newspaper Der Spiegel reported that the barracks of a special forces unit were searched.
The cell had been making plans with "growing intensity" since at least November last year, it is alleged.
The Reichsbuerger movement believes the prewar German Empire was never validly dissolved and that Germany is still awaiting liberation from the wartime Allies.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says the Reichsbuerger scene overlaps with the neo-Nazi fringe and includes anti-Semitic elements.
It has caused growing alarm after orchestrating unrest and recruiting new supporters during the coronavirus pandemic.
One anti-lockdown rally nearly spilt over into violence in 2020 when a group of protesters tried to storm into parliament in Berlin.
The alleged coup plot “shows the real threat to democracy in Germany – extreme-right groups and Reichsbuerger who dream of a coup,” said a Green party MP, Sabine Gruetzmacher.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
25-MAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
