a group calling itself the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire.

"The police force published on its Web site the names and photographs of all the suspects arrested over the weekend, including Alexandros Mitrousias, 21, and Georgios Karagiannidis, 30, believed to be members of a group calling itself the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire. They joined another six suspected members of the group already in custody.

The group has claimed responsibility for a wave of letter bombs early last month that caused one minor injury and led to international alarm after one package reached the Berlin office of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. The group also has claimed several attacks on political and business targets over the past two years.


Raids on apartments over the weekend in Athens and other Greek cities turned up three Scorpion submachine guns, three Kalashnikov assault rifles and seven handguns, a police statement said. Other items seized included 110 pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, which are bomb ingredients, as well as seven ounces of TNT, ammunition and four hand grenades."