German police and prosecutors carried out raids on a Muslim organization on Wednesday morning, searching properties in both Berlin and the central German city of Braunschweig.
Authorities were enforcing a ban on the German-speaking Muslim Association (DMG), a spokesman for the Lower Saxony Interior Ministry told dpa.
"This ban prohibits any continuation of the association's activities by the previous members and any activity by third parties for the benefit of the banned association," the spokesman said.
He declined to provide any further details, but authorities said that additional information would be provided later in the day.
A report from Lower Saxony's domestic intelligence agency in June 2023 alleged that the Braunschweig-based DMG had become a nationwide meeting point for Salafist preachers, and had significantly expanded its online presence with content on YouTube, TikTok, Spotify and Telegram.
"Every week, the appearances of these nationally known Salafist preachers are also made accessible to a large number of viewers via the various online channels of the DMG Braunschweig," the state's Interior Ministry said in a statement at the time.
According to the ministry, the DMG Braunschweig's YouTube channel alone had around 70,000 subscribers as of May 2023.
"The risk of self-radicalization is and remains high, especially in light of the digital possibilities for information and communication," the ministry said at the time.
The group's website includes postings for numerous opportunities aimed at children and young people. These include Koran camps, children's camps, youth conferences and study circles.