German police have swooped on the homes of more than 100 computer buffs in a new crackdown on the illegal trade of Nazi songs over the Internet.
The federal crime agency said the prosecutor's office in Bonn had opened 120 cases against computer enthusiasts accused of trading illegal songs of far-right "skinhead bands."
Displaying Nazi symbols and trading Nazi music are banned in Germany, but the Internet has made it ever more difficult for authorities to stem the flow of such material.
A quick search of the Internet shows many sites offering compact MP3 files of songs such as the "Horst Wessel Song" - the anthem of the Nazi party - and many modern-day variants such as the "Swastika Flies Again."
The MP3 compression technique that enabled the easy transfer of files was created in Germany.
German officials said it is not illegal to listen to Nazi songs, but it is forbidden to offer others the chance to download them via Internet sites which offer music for sale and swapping.
