Organised gangs are stripping Nazi memorabilia from the graves of soldiers who died on the Eastern Front and selling it in Britain, The Times can reveal.
Armed Forces charities have expressed fury and frustration at the “deplorable” groups digging up the bodies of German soldiers to feed a multimillion-pound international industry in Nazi relics.
The artefacts, ranging from small personal effects such as dog tags to parts of tanks, are sold over the internet or through informal networks. The human remains are then buried in mass graves, scattered, or sold.