Germany steps up search for 3 former leftist militants

BERLIN – German investigators are stepping up their search for three former members of the disbanded leftist Red Army Faction militant group, who may be hiding outside the country.

Daniela Klette, Ernst-Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg have been linked to at least nine robberies in northern Germany after years in hiding. Lower Saxony state’s criminal police office said Monday that, despite a public search that began last year, it has yet to receive any “decisive tip.”

The office released new photos and videos Monday, including a sequence from a robbery last year. Authorities suspect the robberies may have been attempts to continue financing the suspects’ life underground.

Investigators said they may still be in Germany, but could be hiding in another European country — particularly the Netherlands, Italy, France or Spain.