Unknown individuals stole thousands of rounds of ammunition from a lorry in an unsecured parking lot used by Germany’s military.
Around 20,000 rounds of Bundeswehr (armed forces) ammunition were stolen from a civilian truck on the night of November 24. The discovery was made the next day.
Investigations by the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with local law enforcement, have confirmed that about 10,000 live 9mm rounds for pistols, 9,900 training rounds for G36 assault rifles and 15 pieces of pyrotechnic (smoke) ammunition were taken.
The Ministry of Defence described it as “a relevant security incident”.
“We take the theft very seriously, because such ammunition must not fall into the wrong hands,” a ministry spokeswoman said.
It launched a “comprehensive investigation” to trace the stolen items and identify those responsible.
Authorities have urged the public to report any sightings of suspicious activity or the ammunition itself, warning that its unauthorised possession and potential black-market distribution pose a grave safety risk.
The ammunition was being transported by a civilian logistics firm contracted by the Bundeswehr to deliver supplies to a military barracks near the town of Burg, in the Jerichower Land district.
According to reports, the lorry driver parked the vehicle in an unguarded industrial car park adjacent to a hotel where he intended to spend the night near Burg in Saxony-Anhalt.
The lorry was left unattended overnight, with no security measures in place, in apparent violation of standard protocols for handling sensitive military cargo.
The robbery was discovered the next morning when the driver arrived at the barracks to unload the cargo and realised that several crates had been removed.
As of today, no arrests have been made, and the motive — whether opportunistic theft, organised crime, or something more sinister — remains unclear.
The episode has sparked criticism of the Bundeswehr’s reliance on civilian contractors for logistics and the apparent lack of oversight.
Munitions transporters reportedly have a contract, which stipulates that the freight forwarder must ensure the safety of the Bundeswehr cargo. For example, two drivers should be assigned on the job, with one keeping an eye on the vehicle at all times.
This was apparently not the case in this incident.
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