CNew evidence in the explosives theft case points to a well-organised criminal operation, while a series of coincidences raises the possibility of complicity involving National Guard personnel.
Sigma information shows that at the moment of the misfire, exactly at 2pm last Thursday, a low-intensity explosion occurred at the precise location from which the explosives were later taken.
Minutes later, a National Guard drone took off and recorded video showing the explosive devices still in place. This indicates the theft occurred within the following hour – before 3pm, when authorities discovered they were missing. Investigators have already delivered the drone footage to police.
Scenario one: Scrap collectors
One scenario suggests scrap metal collectors entered the firing range while a National Guard engineering exercise was underway.
They moved through an area where large explosions had occurred moments earlier, with National Guard personnel nearby. Under this version, private individuals collecting metal removed the explosive mechanisms and intended to sell them by weight to a metal processing facility.
Scenario two: Planned operation
A second and more alarming scenario points to a premeditated crime.
Perpetrators may have known in advance the timing and nature of the engineering exercise, including the failed detonation of the two primary mechanisms. They may also have understood National Guard protocols and the roughly 60-minute window before engineers approached the site.
According to this scenario, suspects stayed hidden during the drone’s initial recording and acted after it left, removing the mechanisms and exiting the firing range unnoticed despite the nearby presence of National Guard personnel.
In both scenarios, the Kalo Chorio firing range appears accessible even during active military exercises.
Investigations continue
Police continue to gather evidence to determine how the perpetrators removed the explosives and where they may have taken them, while the National Guard’s internal investigation into the incident has already progressed.
Sigma sources state that the internal disciplinary inquiry – examining possible omissions, security protocols and potential responsibility of personnel involved in the exercise – led by Brigadier Alkis Alkiviadis, will conclude no later than early next week.
Also read: Ex-Defence Minister flags security issues in National Guard
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