The raids were conducted in the German state of Saxony, as authorities investigate six members of the online group of 103 members that used the online messaging service Telegram to communicate their frustrations with the government’s COVID restrictions, including a discussion of plans to kill Saxony’s state governor Michael Kretschmer.

Five men and one woman, all German citizens ages 32 to 64, are at the center of the investigation that led to the raids of five locations in Dresden, Saxony’s capital, and one in nearby Heidenau, according to Saxony state criminal police office spokesman Tom Bernhardt.

Authorities said they found several weapons during the raid, including crossbows, and police are examining the weapons to determine if they are usable or dangerous.

The investigation began following a report on ZDF television, a German public broadcasting station, that the online group had openly discussed killing Kretschmer and other members of the state government.

Saxony has the lowest vaccination rate in Germany, as just over 58 percent of the population has received their second dose, according to Statista, and has seen protests in recent weeks over COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates.

Police said the raids were conducted on suspicion of “preparations for a serious act of violence” based on the online conversations.

Kretschmer said threats against himself and other government officials, scientists, medical professionals and journalists are “unacceptable, will not be tolerated and will be pursued with all our strength”

The group featured audio messages in which people urged opposing policy measures “with armed force if necessary,” directed against Kretschmer and others. Police have said that comments by some members on their alleged possession of weapons and crossbows are part of the investigation.

He said that police found “crossbows, parts of weapons, and weapons; whether these are capable of firing or are so-called live weapons at all, we will see in the course of the investigation.”

Coronavirus restrictions and the prospect of a likely vaccine mandate for all early next year have fueled recent protests in Germany. Security agencies have warned that parts of the Querdenken movement, a loose collection of groups opposed to the pandemic restrictions, are becoming increasingly radicalized.

New Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a speech to parliament Wednesday that “we won’t put up with a tiny minority of uninhibited extremists trying to impose its will on the whole of our society.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.