In a statement, federal prosecutors outlined extensive and serious allegations against the two "ringleaders", who had "military knowledge and skills".The prosecutors allege that Arend-Adolf G and Achim A decided to set up a mercenary force under their exclusive command at the start of 2021. They planned to pay each member of their unit a wage of about 40,000 euros ($46,400) a month for their services, prosecutors said.Arend-Adolf G had allegedly already tried to recruit at least seven people.Germany's Spiegel magazine, which first reported the arrests, said the mercenary force was supposed to attack and capture areas held by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to BBC.Arend-Adolf G and Achim A "expected civilians to be killed and injured in connection with fighting" in Yemen, prosecutors said.Prosecutors also suspect the accused men wanted to advertise their military service for deployments in other conflicts.Citing sources, Spiegel said a tip from Germany's Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD) put the investigators on the trail of the men.One of the accused was arrested in Munich and the other in Germany's south-western Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. Their apartments in Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg were searched.The former soldiers are expected to appear in court on Wednesday for a hearing about pre-trial detention.
--IANS int/pgh
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