In the summer of 2023, 240 anti-tank mines were found by chance in one of Ikea’s warehouses in Poland. The discovery has led to the sacking of a high-ranking general and now four soldiers face prison terms of up to four years, it reports Daily Mail.
READ MORE: Ikea issues new warning: “Regrettable”
Lost during transport
The incident occurred when a load of mines was to be transported to an ammunition depot in Mosty in Poland, but instead ended up in one of Ikea’s warehouses in Orla. Ikea’s Polish CEO Malgorzata Dobies-Turulskaaccording to the newspaper, has confirmed the incident.
READ MORE: Ikea is bringing back the classic item – not around for 25 years
Although the mines were secured upon discovery, the mistake is described as serious. The high-ranking general Artur Kępczyńskiwho was responsible for the logistics support system, has been dismissed. Minister of Defense of Poland, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamyszsuggests that more could have been done to prevent this.
– I think more could have been done, that’s why the decision was made to target the head of the inspection, he told the Polish news site Wiadomosc.
LEEWARDS MORE: Coop’s call to all its customers
Four soldiers risk prison
Four soldiers are now being investigated for dereliction of duty in connection with the mines going wrong. The prosecutor Lukasz Wawrzyniak believes that the suspects risk up to four years in prison, but none of them have pleaded guilty. The incident has provoked strong reactions and the authorities are promising measures to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
READ MORE: Coop continues to sell discontinued products – despite the alarm