Local Law Enforcement
Around 50 vehicles have been marked with what appears to be blood from a person in the Germany's town of Hanau close to Frankfurt, police confirm authorities.
Cars, building surfaces and postboxes were marked, sometimes with prohibited symbols, they reported in a statement.
Police say they were alerted during the night on Wednesday evening, when a man discovered that a vehicle in the Lamboy neighborhood of Hanau had been smeared with a reddish-hued substance.
The substance had been applied in the form of a Nazi symbol, they reported.
Officers then found many other vandalized vehicles and building exteriors in the surrounding area.
Swastikas are prohibited in Germany under legislation banning the public exhibition of Nazi symbols.
Law enforcement say preliminary tests show the substance was probably blood from a person.
"At present there remains no indication as to its origin; investigators are not yet aware of any physical harm in association with the occurrence," they added.
City officials said they were attempting "to unravel the case" and have asked to the community for tips.
A senior official stated the incident made him without words and needed to be addressed rapidly.
"This act hits the very heart of Hanau and revives the wounds of the extremist violent incident five years ago," he posted on a platform, mentioning the killing of nine people by a assailant targeting residents of migrant background in 2020.
