German Interior Ministry withholds details on 33 missing service weapon cases

The German Federal Ministry of the Interior has revealed that 33 disciplinary proceedings were initiated over the last five years due to missing service weapons within federal police agencies. Of these cases, 30 involved the Federal Police and three involved the Federal Criminal Police Office.

The Ministry has declined to release specific details regarding the exact number of weapons missing, their locations, or the specific reasons for the losses. Officials stated that disclosing such information could compromise national security by revealing details about the material readiness and logistics of security agencies. The Ministry argued that the interest in maintaining secrecy for the protection of the Federal Republic outweighs the Parliament's constitutional right to information.

The Green Party has filed a complaint against this decision, labeling the security justification as a pretext. Green parliamentary group manager Irene Mihalic criticized the confidential response, noting that it failed to clarify how many weapons are currently missing or where they are stored, nor did it provide insight into how security gaps might be exploited. She emphasized a high public interest in knowing the extent of weapon and ammunition losses within the Federal Police, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the Customs Investigation Service.