Police find WWII flak cannon in garage

Published: 30 May 08 18:35 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/12199/

German police have discovered a well-preserved WWII anti-aircraft cannon in a German man's garage in part of a series of raids that uncovered more than €100,000 in illegal weapons, German daily Berliner Morgenpost reported on Thursday.

Police discovered the flak cannon, used by the German Wehrmacht in the Second World War, after conducting a search on a family home in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The 49-year-old resident was in possession of 200 illegal firearms, one kilogramme of explosives, and 15,000 rounds of ammunition. The anti-aircraft cannon was resting where a car would normally park.

"I thought I'd seen everything, but you can always be surprised," chief investigator Manfred Schmandra told the paper.

The cannon is not in working condition, but Schmandra said this could be easily remedied.

The raid was part of 16 searches in three states, Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Schmandra told the paper that police were not planning to prosecute most of the weapon owners. "From what we can tell, they are all collectors who got in touch online. But there is still a danger from these weapons. Someone could get a hold of them, or unused ammunition could be dangerous in the case of a house fire," he told Berliner Morgenpost.

Investigations are ongoing.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

Policja odnalazla w garazu drugowojenne dzialko przeciwlotnicze

Niemiecka policja odnalazla w garazu swietnie zachowane drugowojenne dzialko przeciwlotnicze. Jak informuje dziennik Berliner Morgenpost w ramach serii przeszukan znaleziono nielegalna bron warta ponad 100 000 E.

Policja odnalazla uzywane przez Wehrmacht dzialko po przeszukaniu domu w prowincji Saksonia-Anhalt. 49 letni wlasciciel mial ponadto 200 sztuk nielegalnej broni, kilogram materialow wybuchowych oraz 15000 sztuk amunicji. Dzialko stalo w miejscu gdzie normalnie powinien stac samochod.

"Myslalem, ze widzialem juz wszystko, ale zawsze mozna zostac zaskoczonym" powiedzial gazecie prowadzacy dochodzebia Manfred Schmandra.

Dzialko jest niesprawne, ale Schmandra stwierdzil, ze latwo mozna by je naprawic.

Nalot byl czescia jednego z 16 przeszukan w 3 landach Berlin, Saksonia-Anhalt oraz Meklemburgia-Pomorze.

Schmandra powiedzial takze, ze policja nie ma zamiaru oskarzac wiekszosci z posiadaczy znalezionej broni. "Z tego co wiemy sa oni kolekcjonerami, ktorzy poznali sie w sieci. Niemniej jednak ta bron jest wciaz grozna. Ktos moglby ja przejac, a amunicja stwarza zagrozenie np w przypadku pozaru".

Sledztwo trwa.

police were not planning to prosecute most of the weapon owners. "From what we can tell, they are all collectors who got in touch online. But there is still a danger from these weapons. Someone could get a hold of them, or unused ammunition could be dangerous in the case of a house fire,"