German prosecutors investigate five Bundeswehr soldiers for theft during Kabul evacuation

Soldiers in uniform (symbolic image) Source: picture alliance/CHROMORANGE/Michael Bihlmayer

The Kempten public prosecutor's office is investigating five Bundeswehr soldiers on suspicion of theft during the evacuation mission at Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The accused are alleged to have stolen goods from shops at the airport, including T-shirts, uniform patches, and knives.

Investigation Details

"The Kempten public prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation on initial suspicion of theft against a total of five Bundeswehr members who belonged to the deployment contingent," a spokesman for the authority told Bild am Sonntag. The accused are said to have "unlawfully appropriated goods from shops at Kabul airport during the evacuations."

The investigations are ongoing. When and with what result the proceedings will be concluded "cannot be precisely predicted," the spokesman said, referring to the presumption of innocence.

Unit and Allegations

According to Bild am Sonntag, citing Bundeswehr circles, the soldiers belong to Paratrooper Regiment 31 of the Airborne Brigade 1. The elite fighters are alleged to have committed the thefts in the military section of the airport, in shops run by Afghans that sold, among other items, military equipment. The armed soldiers are said to have stolen T-shirts and patches (cloth badges for uniforms). Knives are also mentioned in Bundeswehr circles.

Timeline and Previous Investigations

The investigations against the five soldiers began last year, when Paratrooper Regiment 26 was under investigation. Soldiers reported the incidents during interviews within the Bundeswehr. "After becoming aware of a possible criminal offense, the military disciplinary prosecutor's office immediately informed the Kempten public prosecutor's office and handed the case over," a Defense Ministry spokeswoman told Bild am Sonntag.

Involvement of the Federal Prosecutor General

The public prosecutor's office involved the Federal Prosecutor General via the Munich General Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate the existence of looting. "The facts were submitted to the Federal Prosecutor's Office for review of possible violations of the International Criminal Code," the spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor General told the newspaper. "Our investigations have ruled out such a suspicion."

Defense Ministry Response

The Federal Defense Ministry confirmed to the newspaper that "image material was also evaluated in the course of the investigations." However, "no actions were identified that fulfill the offense of looting."

The investigations are now back in Kempten. According to the report, the criminal offense of theft with weapons could be present, as the soldiers were armed during the operation at the airport.

High-Level Awareness

The matter is being closely monitored in the ministry and the army. According to Bild am Sonntag, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and the Inspector of the Army, Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, have been informed about the investigation.

AFP/luwi