German police have mounted a series of raids on suspected neo-nazi cells in a big operation in the Rhineland-North Westphalia region, and in Aix-la- Chapelle.

Around 150 properties were searched in all, in Juelich, Dusseldorf, Aachen, and Hamm.

Nearly 1000 police were mobilised, also striking at premises along the Belgian and Dutch borders.

“We are increasingly observing , and that is alarming, growing networking in the neo-nazi scene. Therefore it was important to break up these cells. This crackdown has ripped a big hole in the network,” said state interior minister Ralf Jaeger.

In Dortmund group funds were confiscated along with propaganda material. The regions have seen an upswing in far-right crimes this year. Public impatience with a number of botched police operations led to the resignations last month of Germany’s top three secret policemen.