The operation took place in and around the city of Dresden, and involved searches in six properties.

A police spokesman said officers were investigating a serious crime endangering the state and that there were several suspects.

The operation, which began in the early hours of Wednesday morning, centres on threats allegedly made on the online channel Telegram.

Special forces of the Saxony Criminal Investigation Office (LKA) were also involved because members of the Telegram group had suggested that they might be in possession of crossbows and other weapons, the police said.

According to a report by the ZDF magazine “Frontal” last week, death threats against Saxony’s premier had appeared on Telegram in connection with discussions about a coronavirus vaccination requirement.

The LKA announced last week that it was specifically concerned with a Telegram chat group called Dresden Offline Networking. Statements had been made about assassination plans regarding Kretschmer and other representatives of the state government, the LKA said then.

The threats caused outrage across the political spectrum.   Kretschmer himself stressed that “people who hold public office should not have to be afraid to speak their mind and do their job.”