Developments expected ‘in next two days’ over missing TNT

Developments are expected “within the next two days” regarding the 13.6 kilograms of TNT which went missing from a firing range last week, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Friday.

He told CyBC radio that “no possibility can be ruled out in this unusual case”, but said that he hopes that “the incident was due to negligence or carelessness and not due to organised crime or collaboration between National Guard officials and criminal networks”.

On this matter, he said that the “most likely scenario” remains that the TNT was stolen, and that he is “concerned” that “the explosives may now be in the hands of individuals with illegal intentions”.

He also said that “serious disciplinary offences” had been identified in relation to the security measures taken at the firing range, and that for this reason, consequences will be imposed … on those who did not perform their duties properly by National Guard chief Emmanuel Theodorou.

Earlier this week, it was reported that drone footage taken near the shooting range on the day the TNT went missing, January 29, showed the explosives to be in place during an exercise at around 2pm.

As such, the police’s current belief is that the material was taken between 2pm and 3pm.

The quantity of TNT which has gone missing, the defence ministry said, “poses great risk to human lives” if detonated.

The TNT had been reported missing on Friday last week, and officials at the time said the material had been left at the site for a scheduled controlled detonation which was set to take place on Thursday, but which then failed to occur.

When personnel visited the site later in the day, they found that the TNT was not there.

Initial suggestions that the material may have been detonated without its use being recorded were swiftly dismissed, with the case being treated as a possible theft by both the police and the defence ministry.