Unknown assailants stole thousands of rounds of ammunition from a delivery truck destined for a Bundeswehr barracks in the town of Burg in Saxony-Anhalt, German media reported on Tuesday.
The theft took place on Tuesday, November 25, the Defense Ministry confirmed to public broadcaster MDR and weekly magazine Der Spiegel.
What do we know about the theft of Bundeswehr ammunition?
According to the reports, a civilian delivery truck was carrying the munition, but the driver stopped for the night at a hotel in Burg, parking the truck in an unsecure car park.
It was only the next morning, when the delivery arrived at the barracks, that it became clear some of the ammunition was missing.
After checking the delivery list, it was ascertained that some 10,000 rounds of live ammunition for pistols and 9,900 rounds of training ammunition for assault rifles had been taken, Spiegel reported.
The Defense Ministry told the magazine that: "We take the theft very seriously — this kind of ammunition must not fall into the wrong hands."
Who's to blame for the stolen ammunition?
The ministry laid the blame on the delivery driver, saying that they had made a spontaneous decision for an unplanned stop.
According to the contract between the ministry and delivery companies, the latter has the obligation to make sure the cargo is secured. For that reason, there are normally two drivers so that one can keep an eye on the vehicle during any stops.
The Bundeswehr is now investigating, with the help of local police, who could be behind the theft.
Spiegel reported that the assumption in Bundeswehr circles is that it was not a random robbery, but rather the perpetrators had been observing the vehicle and took their chance when the driver made the stop.
There have been several cases of ammunition going missing in Saxony-Anhalt. Just in the last few months, police ammunition has gone missing in the towns of Bernburg and Eisleben.
