A suspect arrested this week in connection with a murderous neo-Nazi terrorist group has been identified as a former member of the far-right National Democratic Party. His affiliation is likely to spark renewed calls for the party to be banned in Germany.

In a development likely to reignite debate in Germany about banning the National Democratic Party (NPD), police detained a man Wednesday who is believed to be a former member of the far-right party on suspicion of aiding the murderous neo-Nazi terror group known as the Zwickau cell.

Carsten S. was a top official in the party's chapter in the eastern German city of Jena in 1999. The suspect also reportedly belonged to the party's executive committee for the state of Thuringia, in addition to acting as the state representative on the national board for the NPD's youth organization, the Junge Nationaldemokraten, or Young National Democrats.

Members of Germany's elite GSG 9 counter-terrorism unit arrested the 31-year-old in Dusseldorf on suspicion that he provided a gun and ammunition to the Zwickau terror cell, which is thought to have murdered at least 10 people since 2000. Their alleged victims were nine small business owners of Turkish and Greek origin, along with a policewoman. The suspect stands accused of abetting six murders and an attempted murder, and is currently being held on remand.

Second NPD Link

The fifth suspect arrested in connection with the Zwickau cell, Carsten S., is also the second former NPD official who is believed to have been connected with the group. Ralf Wohlleben, a former long-time functionary within the Thuringia NPD, was arrested in November. The latest NPD connection to the case is now likely to reignite pressure to ban the right-wing extremist party.