Remscheid arms cache: Main defendant agrees to plea deal

The main defendant in a trial concerning one of Germany’s largest recent discoveries of war weapons has agreed to a plea deal. The 60-year-old master mechanic faces a potential sentence of six to seven years in prison, provided he delivers a comprehensive confession during the next hearing on October 12. If the condition is met, a verdict is expected on October 30.

The case stems from the discovery of a massive illegal arsenal hidden beneath the defendant’s workshop a year ago. Investigators found four concealed weapon chambers secured by secret doors, false walls, and hidden locking mechanisms. The cache included approximately 300 firearms—including 125 machine guns, 67 submachine guns, 51 pistols, 32 long guns, 11 revolvers, and 13 anti-tank weapons—alongside 38 hand grenades and nearly 100,000 rounds of ammunition.

Two co-defendants have already been convicted as war weapons traffickers, receiving sentences of two and a half and three and a half years respectively. They testified to purchasing submachine guns from the main defendant for approximately 2,000 euros each.