Italian Police Raid Neo-Nazi Network and Arrest 17 Suspects
Italian police raided homes of 17 suspects, including 14 minors, linked to an online neo-Nazi white supremacist network plotting attacks.
Italian security forces raided the homes of 17 suspects across the country, including 14 minors, linked to an online neo-Nazi network promoting white supremacy.
The suspects face charges including incitement to commit crimes, racist, ethnic and religious propaganda and hate speech, as well as training for terrorist activities with aggravating terrorist motives. According to Italian reports, the investigation was launched following prolonged monitoring of online groups and profiles.
Radical Propaganda and Terror Manuals
The suspects uploaded and distributed propaganda glorifying Hitler, the SS and Nazi symbols. The discourse featured severe anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia, including the sharing of manifestos by mass shooters such as Anders Breivik, Brenton Tarrant and Stephan Balliet.
Investigators also recovered detailed guides for manufacturing homemade explosives, instructions for increasing their lethality, and training materials on the use of bladed and firearms. Investigators described the threat as "real and present" given the widespread distribution of these instructional manuals.
Telegram Recruitment and Specific Threats
The detainees operated within two main groups: the "New European Order Chat," which shared Nazi propaganda, Holocaust denial and bomb-making guides, and the "Italian Fascist Front," which distributed racist and anti-Semitic content, execution videos, and materials from the US neo-Nazi group "The Base."
"The suspects posed a concrete danger to public safety through active recruitment, radicalization, and detailed planning of violent attacks," law enforcement officials stated.
The Italian Fascist Front featured a strict internal hierarchy, with members adopting ranks such as "Commander-in-Chief,Secretary,Black Shirt" and "SS Corporal." Recruitment was conducted via Telegram, requiring prospective members to fill out formal application forms.
During the raids, police seized knives, bladed weapons, Nazi flags and memorabilia, as well as digital devices used to disseminate extremist content.
