At least three people were arrested while war weapons were seized after a counter-terrorism operation on far-right activists in Turin, according to the Italian authorities.
The operation was undertaken following a year-long investigation. Raids were also carried out in four northern provinces like Varese and Pavia, according to Xinhua.
Nine assault rifles, an air-to-air missile, a machine gun and seven pistols were amongst the weapons seized by authorities.
The three arrested individuals, including two Italian citizens and one Swiss citizen, were charged for possessing war weapons illegally.
The investigation was focused on "some people linked to far-right political groups, who fought in the Ukrainian region of Donbas against secessionist forces," by the police.
"The materials seized deserve utmost attention," said local police chief Giuseppe De Matteis. Nazi-inspired placards were also found from one of the houses of the arrested individuals.
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"We are talking about 20 assault rifles plus spare parts...and, in addition to the missile, we found other war equipment," De Matteis added.
"Launched one year ago, the operation has rapidly evolved over the past three months," he said.
One of the arrested individuals had run for the Senate from the far-right in the early 2000s.
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