GERMAN police arrested five teenagers yesterday for alleged involvement with a far-right extremist group calling itself Last Defence Wave. 

The group allegedly aimed to destabilise the country’s democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents.

The early-morning arrests in various parts of Germany were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Four of those arrested, identified only as Benjamin H, Ben-Maxim H, Lenny M and Jason R, in line with German privacy rules, are suspected of membership of a domestic terror organisation. 

The fifth, Jerome M, is accused of supporting the group. Two of those arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. 

Prosecutors said they were also investigating three other people who are already in custody. All the suspects are German citizens.

According to the prosecutors, the group’s members saw themselves as the last resort to defend the “German nation” and aimed to bring about the collapse of Germany’s democratic order through attacks on homes for asylum-seekers and on facilities associated with the political left.

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said it was “particularly shocking” that all of those arrested were minors last year when the group was allegedly founded.

“This is an alarm signal and it shows that right-wing extremist terrorism knows no age,” she said.