German police make arrests in alleged coup plot

Thousands of police carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state in an armed coup.

Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement.

22 German citizens were detained on suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization. Three other people are suspected of supporting the organization. A female judge was also detained during the raids. She is said to have links with the far-right Alternative for Germany party. Known by its German acronym AfD, the party has increasingly come under scrutiny by German security services due to its ties with extremists.