Italian police seized a combat-ready Air-to-Air missile in raids on far right Extremists

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Anti-terrorism police in northern Italy have seized an air-to-air missile and other sophisticated weapons during raids on far-right extremist groups

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 who took part in the Russian-backed insurgency in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.

Officers stopped the pair after finding a French-made missile at an airport hangar.

They are accused of intending to sell the air-to-air missile, worth over 600,000 euros, to the Qatari army.

Police said the discoveries stemmed from a previous investigation into Italians who took part in the Russian-backed rebellion in eastern Ukraine.

Italian media named those arrested as Fabio Del Bergiolo, 50, an Italian ex-customs officer and far-right Forza Nuova party activist; Alessandro Monti, 42, a Swiss national; and Fabio Bernardi, 51, also Italian.

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.

More than 10,000 people have died in fighting since Russian-backed separatists launched an insurgency in eastern Ukraine in April 2014. Skirmishes with Ukrainian government troops continue, but the frontline has remained generally static for more than a year.