Two soldiers from Howe Barracks in Canterbury who allegedly stole military explosives and pyrotechnics have gone on trial.

The colour sergeant and lance corporal are said to have been involved in passing on explosives, detonators, flares, smoke grenades, destruction grenades and ammunition from the British Army to a civilian associate connected to the criminal underworld in Glasgow.

The soldiers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were serving with the 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) at the time.

Maidstone Crown Court heard they were arrested following a drugs raid on a flat in Glasgow which revealed a stash of military equipment in a cupboard.

This led to a joint investigation by police in both Scotland and England, and the arrests of the 37-year-old colour sergeant and 28-year-old lance corporal.

A third member of their platoon - a sergeant aged 27 - was also arrested.

The jury of eight women and four men was told he has pleaded guilty to his involvement and will be giving evidence for the prosecution.

A civilian, Andrew Quinn, 25, of Whitehill Place, Glasgow, has also pleaded guilty.

High Court judge Mr Justice Sir Robert Akenhead ruled at the start of the three-week trial that the colour sergeant and lance corporal are referred to in media reports of proceedings as X and Y respectively.

The soldier who has pleaded guilty and will give evidence against them will be known as B.

X and Y both deny conspiracy to possess explosives between October 31, last year, and February 16.

It is alleged they conspired together, with B and Quinn and with persons unknown, to possess explosives in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that the explosives would not be in their possession for a lawful object.

X and Y have also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to steal explosives, detonators, flares, smoke grenades, destruction grenades and other munitions from the British Army between the same dates.

They also deny conspiracy to dishonestly undertake or assist in the retention, removal, disposal or realisation of stolen goods.

The court heard that B and Quinn have admitted conspiracy to possess explosives and conspiracy to dishonestly undertake or assist in the retention, removal, disposal or realisation of stolen goods.

Of the two defendants in the dock, prosecutor Anthony Prosser said at the start of his opening speech: “They were both party to agreements with other men which involved military explosives and military equipment being taken from the Army and being passed from Howe Barracks to a civilian associate in Glasgow who was connected to the criminal underworld up there.”

Mr Prosser told the court Strathclyde police raided the Glasgow flat on New Year’s Eve, last year.

They found 2kg of heroin - and the owner of the flat, Quinn, hiding in a bin cupboard with a box containing £6,000.

Hidden in a cupboard was a suitcase containing 978 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 742 12-bore shotgun cartridges and more than 500 rounds of standard British Army 5.56mm ammunition.

Police also discovered three army parachute flares and nine smoke grenades.

More ammunition was found in a wardrobe, and swabs of various surfaces in the flat revealed traces of RDX - the active component of military plastic explosives.

The court heard that Quinn had also once been a soldier with the same regiment.

The three soldiers were arrested on February 15.

Mr Prosser said that in a padlocked locker behind X’s desk in his office at Howe Barracks police found seven sticks of military plastic explosives, 80 plain detonators, 16 electrical detonators and 20 firing wires and safety fuses.

A platoon storeroom which led directly off X’s office was also searched.

Inside was what is known as a “battle box” and X later told police it was in here that he originally found all the military paraphernalia that ended up in his locker.

A bag behind the box contained five smoke grenades and blank ammunition. Further military pyrotechnics were found in a smaller box.

“When combined together these items found in and around the locker comprised everything needed to set off plastic explosives,” explained Mr Prosser.

Traces of Y’s DNA was also found on a 12-bore cartridge case found in the Glasgow flat.

When arrested, X told police he had a lot on his mind at the time. He was also £80,000 in debt.

His Mazda car was seized from his home in Scotland and traces of RDX were found.

When the lance corporal was arrested police found a smoke grenade and blank ammunition in his wardrobe.

He told police he had been aware of X storing explosives in his locker and passing them on to B who transported them by car to Quinn.

The trial continues.