German police swoop on hooligans

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Munich police said on Wednesday they had searched 24 homes and seized weapons and other evidence as part of an operation against soccer hooligans.

Some 170 officers took part in the raid and secured items including gas pistols, butterfly knives and baseball bats, police said. Computer data and photographs were also seized.

The residents of the homes were part of a group of hooligans who were increasingly organising mass brawls away from football stadiums where police presence is heavy, police said.

They had already been questioned last month by police in nearby Austria after a mass brawl there and an investigation was launched in the Bavarian capital.

Police took the 24 people, aged between 18 and 40, into custody on Tuesday for questioning and later released them without charge, a spokesman said.

"This operation against the hooligan scene in Munich shows that German thugs who commit crimes abroad can expect to be investigated and punished at home as well," police said.

Instances of soccer violence have increased in Germany in recent months, mirroring a pattern seen in other European countries such as Italy and Spain.

European Union sports ministers said on Tuesday they wanted bloc-wide security standards for sports stadiums and increased co-operation between EU police forces.

UEFA president Michel Platini had earlier called on governments to help the soccer authorities tackle the resurgent problem of hooliganism and racism.