- LKA: 216 suspected extremists in NRW with weapons permits
216 suspected extremists are currently in possession of a weapons permit in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to information from the State Criminal Police Office (LKA). 123 of them have what is known as a small firearms permit, which only allows the carrying of blank-firing, gas, and signal weapons.
186 of the suspected extremists with a weapons permit are from the far-right spectrum, 11 from the Islamist, with the rest spread across left-wing extremism, xenophobic extremism - such as the Grey Wolves - and other areas.
The revocation of a weapons permit must be justified on a case-by-case basis. This is relatively simple if someone is a proven member of a banned organization or party, or a convicted felon with at least one year of imprisonment.
Legal interpretation leeway
The regulations of the Weapons Act are "interpreted very strictly," said an LKA spokesperson. Beyond convicted criminals and members of banned organizations, it only defines for others who "generally" does not possess the reliability required for a weapons permit. This formulation allows for legal interpretation leeway.
In recent years, a total of 351 former holders have had their weapons permit revoked in NRW, according to LKA - including 315 from the far-right spectrum.
For the 206 so-called Reich citizens or "self-administrators" included in this number, this figure has been accumulated since March 2018 until the end of June this year, the LKA spokesperson explained. For all other groups, the numbers have been recorded since the entry into force of the weapons law amendment in February 2020.
The State Criminal Police Office in LKA is responsible for overseeing weapons permits in LKA, which has 216 suspected extremists with permits, including 186 from the far-right spectrum.
The revocation of weapons permits for individuals outside of convicted criminals and banned organization members can vary greatly due to the legal interpretation leeway in the Weapons Act, as noted by an LKA spokesperson.
