Police in Germany and Switzerland are investigating possible links between the murder of an Orthodox rabbi in Zurich and a killing spree by a terrorist neo-Nazi cell.

According to the Swiss paper Tagesanzeiger, the Israeli-born rabbi, Abraham Grünbaum, 70, was shot at point-blank range on June 7, 2001 in the Agudas Achim synagogue in Zurich. The crime was recorded on a security camera, but the image quality was low, the report said. Police found two bullet casings and cigarette butts at the site. The rabbi was not robbed, thus the motive was considered likely to be hate.

A rash of murders that followed shortly after are attributed to a German neo-Nazi gang. In all, the National Socialist Underground is suspected of involvement at least 10 killings over a decade, and police are investigating whether the gang was involved in the rabbi’s death.

The main weapon was registered in Switzerland and reportedly also was used at Swiss shooting ranges.

The German group is suspected to have had connections with Swiss right-wing extremists. German security forces tapped phone conversations between the two countries, and witnesses in Germany said the group used a vehicle with Swiss plates, according to the Swiss daily, the Basler Zeitung. — jta