Rome -- Police in northern Italy have detained three men, including one linked to a neo-fascist Italian political party, after uncovering a huge stash of automatic weapons, a missile and material featuring Nazi symbols. Police said the discoveries stemmed from a previous investigation into Italians affiliated with far-right extremist groups who took part in the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

In a statement Monday, Turin police said one of the men arrested had in 2001 run unsuccessfully as a Senate candidate for the neo-fascist Forza Nuova party. At his home in Gallarate, police found nine assault weapons, nearly 30 hunting rifles, pistols and bayonets as well as ammunition and antique Nazi plaques featuring swastikas.

Italy's national police force tweeted images of the seized missile and other weapons. The police said it was an air-to-air missile.

#Digos Torino ha concluso un’operazione nei confronti di 3 persone responsabili di detenzione di armi da guerra e da sparo.

Dalle indagini si è scoperta anche una trattativa per la compravendita di un missile aria – aria sequestrato in provincia di Pavia https://t.co/IvKFpgQ4Ox — Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) July 15, 2019

Two other men were detained after police found a French-made missile at an airport hangar that they apparently were seeking to sell.

Italian media outlets identified the suspects as Fabio Del Bergiolo, 50, an Italian ex-customs officer and far-right Forza Nuova party activist; Alessandro Monti, 42, a Swiss national; and Italian Fabio Bernardi, 51.