In a high-profile mistake, a furniture company in Poland received a delivery of 240 anti-tank mines that were actually intended for the Polish army. The incident, which took place in July 2024, has led to possible prison sentences for four soldiers involved, according to reports by Polish news agency PAP.
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The furniture company's subsidiary discovered the military equipment and immediately called in the military police, who came to collect the cargo the same day. Despite the fact that the mistake already took place six months ago, the story only recently came to light through reports on Polish news portals Onet.pl and Wirtualna Polska.
Following these revelations, Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz fired the manager of the army's internal inspection service and immediately appointed a replacement. The exact reason for the dismissal has not been disclosed, but local media suggest there was an attempt to cover up the mistake.
The anti-tank mines, which should have been loaded from a train along with a large quantity of military equipment near the city of Szczecin, were left behind due to a mistake by the soldiers. Weeks later, the mines were found in the furniture company's depot after an unintended journey through Poland. According to Onet.pl, the load was powerful enough to destroy two skyscrapers, underlining the seriousness of the mistake.
Source niewsblad.be