NEWS

Police search for Golden Dawn ‘guns cache’ after ex-members speak out

Police are searching for guns that Golden Dawn may have hidden in safe houses or other spots after a prosecutor’s report said the neoNazi party may have a secret arsenal.

On Monday, the anti-terrorism squad was searching the Ioannina home of Golden Dawn MP Christos Pappas, who handed himself over to police on Sunday.

Early reports suggested some firearms were found at the property along with Nazi paraphernalia, including photos of Adolf Hitler and a Swastika flag.

However, the report compiled by Supreme Court prosecutor Christos Vourliotis suggests that the party has guns hidden somewhere in the greater Athens area.

Former members of Golden Dawn told authorities that the party had two boot camps in Attica, where members learned to use guns. They also claimed that the firearms were not kept at party offices but hidden elsewhere.

The two witnesses were members of the chapter in Nikaia, where rapper Pavlos Fyssas was murdered by a Golden Dawn member earlier this month.

The pair explained to authorities how the party’s chapters were split into small cells of five people with members having to account to the leader of their cell, who then reported to his superiors.

There were regular indoctrination classes, including lessons on Adolf Hitler that denied the atrocities carried out by the Nazis, the two ex-members said.

They also claimed that any members who questioned their superiors or the party were beaten. A group of members was dedicated to harassing anyone who left the party to ensure that they would not talk about their experiences.

The witnesses also told authorities that although party members were involved in violent attacks on migrants, they also used immigrants to sell contraband cigarettes and clothing that the party collected from charitable donations.

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