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Some soldiers stealing weapons
Last Updated Sun, 20 Jul 2003 22:21:56
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
OTTAWA - The Department of National Defence has uncovered missing guns, ammunition and other military hardware in some soldiers‘ homes, CBC News has learned.
The extent of the problem is not known. But government documents obtained through the Access to Information Act show at least 10 sites in Canada where Armed Forces property has been found since 1997.
In one case in Saskatoon, more than 30 kilograms of ammunition were seized in a soldier‘s house, along with weapons and a mine detonation kit. Investigators also discovered a hole in the ceiling where a bullet had been fired.
Other discoveries from caches across the country include:
* Stolen pistols in Alberta and Ontario;
* Crates of ammunition and smoke grenades in B.C.;
* Three kilograms of explosives hidden in a soldier‘s barracks.
The easiest item to steal is C-4, a plastic explosive handed out in chunks at training exercises, according to Scott Taylor, a military analyst and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine.
"A lot of guys will pocket a small amount of that, if they want to collect it," he says. "Over a period of time they can accumulate some."
Another trick is to avoid throwing your grenade during a live fire drill, and then pocketing it when no one is looking.
In some cases, soldiers who love weapons simply want souvenirs. But in other instances, they sell the stolen property to make money, according to Defence Department documents. There can also be links to organized crime, Taylor says.
The military acknowledges that some weapons and ammunition are stolen, but it says the theft is rare and that stopping it altogether is virtually impossible.
"Before and after every training exercise, before and after every operation, we conduct a complete inventory of weapons and ammunition to safeguard against that sort of thing," says Capt. Mark Giles, a Defence spokesperson.
"It‘s not a perfect system, but I think it‘s a very, very good policy. And the vast, vast majority of our personnel are meeting our high standards."
Officials won‘t say how many of the people linked to the missing weapons have been punished, or exactly how much military hardware has been taken or found.
Written by CBC News Online staff
Last Updated Sun, 20 Jul 2003 22:21:56
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
OTTAWA - The Department of National Defence has uncovered missing guns, ammunition and other military hardware in some soldiers‘ homes, CBC News has learned.
The extent of the problem is not known. But government documents obtained through the Access to Information Act show at least 10 sites in Canada where Armed Forces property has been found since 1997.
In one case in Saskatoon, more than 30 kilograms of ammunition were seized in a soldier‘s house, along with weapons and a mine detonation kit. Investigators also discovered a hole in the ceiling where a bullet had been fired.
Other discoveries from caches across the country include:
* Stolen pistols in Alberta and Ontario;
* Crates of ammunition and smoke grenades in B.C.;
* Three kilograms of explosives hidden in a soldier‘s barracks.
The easiest item to steal is C-4, a plastic explosive handed out in chunks at training exercises, according to Scott Taylor, a military analyst and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine.
"A lot of guys will pocket a small amount of that, if they want to collect it," he says. "Over a period of time they can accumulate some."
Another trick is to avoid throwing your grenade during a live fire drill, and then pocketing it when no one is looking.
In some cases, soldiers who love weapons simply want souvenirs. But in other instances, they sell the stolen property to make money, according to Defence Department documents. There can also be links to organized crime, Taylor says.
The military acknowledges that some weapons and ammunition are stolen, but it says the theft is rare and that stopping it altogether is virtually impossible.
"Before and after every training exercise, before and after every operation, we conduct a complete inventory of weapons and ammunition to safeguard against that sort of thing," says Capt. Mark Giles, a Defence spokesperson.
"It‘s not a perfect system, but I think it‘s a very, very good policy. And the vast, vast majority of our personnel are meeting our high standards."
Officials won‘t say how many of the people linked to the missing weapons have been punished, or exactly how much military hardware has been taken or found.
Written by CBC News Online staff
) or in this case, embarass the military into further tightening up whatever controls are in place to prevent such incidents.
