Bundeswehr: Officer bunkered radioactive material

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Raid on October 12th in Aldenhoven in North Rhine-Westphalia

Photo:

Ralf Roeger / dpa

The case of a Bundeswehr officer arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia is becoming more and more explosive.

In addition to an extensive collection of weapons, the investigators secured radioactive material from the explosives expert.

The Frankfurt public prosecutor confirmed to SPIEGEL that the radiating substance was strontium-90.

The authority did not provide any information about the amount.

The proceedings against Captain Michael C. were expanded to include the charge of "unauthorized handling of radioactive materials" because of the find.

So far, he had been accused of violating the Foreign Trade Act and the War Weapons Control Act.

According to a note from the Ministry of Defense, the investigators discovered a kind of armory in the home of Michael C. in Aldenhoven near Aachen in mid-October.

It contained Kalashnikov rifles, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, as well as a number of defused grenades and ammunition.

Most of the material that the Bundeswehr initially brought to a barracks on behalf of the judiciary for security reasons is said to come from the former Eastern Bloc and not from the troops' holdings.

Apparently "extensive communist literature" secured

The captain belonged to the Bundeswehr Center for Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices.

The unit is responsible, among other things, for the analysis of self-made explosive devices.

The authorities were concerned that the officer had found two documents, one classified as confidential and one classified as secret.

According to SPIEGEL information, there are two current dossiers from the Federal Intelligence Service on the situation in North Korea.

It remains to be seen how the accused got the sensitive papers.

"Extensive communist literature" is also said to have been seized during the raid.

In addition to the public prosecutor's office and customs, the military counterintelligence service is investigating and has switched on its counterintelligence.

Captain C. is in custody.

His defense has not yet been available to comment on the allegations.

The officer attracted attention because he wanted to send a suspicious package to the USA.

During a customs inspection at Frankfurt Airport, officials discovered a silencer for a machine gun from the Second World War and turned the local public prosecutor on.

During the searches, the investigators then came across the extensive weapons and ammunition depot.

Because dangerous chemicals were discovered in the captain's house, the emergency services consulted an expert from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection to evaluate the findings.

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