According to police sources, individuals from Germany's far right have held secret meetings in Mallorca in recent years. Some are said to be close to the conspirators arrested in Germany last week and who included Heinrich XIII, the alleged mastermind of the plot to stage a coup.
In March 2019, Guardia Civil arrested Michael Leopold Stiegler in Paguera. He belonged to the Reichsbürger movement, which numbers an estimated 21,000 people and was the target for the huge police operation in Germany.
He was wanted in Germany, having placed an explosive device in the Bavarian town of Burglengenfeld. This contained mercury. Had it exploded, it would have caused high contamination of the surrounding area. The German authorities described him as "very dangerous".
Stiegler had rented a chalet in Paguera. The Guardia Civil kept him under surveillance for several days before arresting him when he put rubbish out. He was extradited to Germany.
In May this year, around thirty individuals from the Reichsbürger movement gathered for a long weekend at a finca in Mallorca, the location of which was kept secret. They discussed issues such as how to save the Fatherland.
The police are meanwhile aware of the presence of an active German far-right extremist in Cala Ratjada.