Secunderabad armoury heist cracked, 4 detained; ex-Army personnel under scanner
HYDERABAD: Eleven days after weapons and ammunition went missing from the Madras Regiment armoury at Bollarum in Secunderabad Cantonment, investigators have cracked the case and taken four suspects into custody, sources said.
Military Intelligence and the Telangana police Task Force carried out a joint operation to crack the case. The four suspects include one person from Nagarkurnool and three others from different places.
Investigators are questioning the suspects about their roles in removing, transporting and hiding the weapons.
Sources said a retired Army personnel may have played a key role in the theft. Investigators are examining information that he held a grudge against his former commanding Army personnel. He allegedly planned the theft to create trouble for the Army personnel.
Stolen weapons recovered from Nagarkurnool
Investigators recovered a cache of the stolen weapons in Nagarkurnool district based on information obtained during the probe.
Officials are now checking the firearms, ammunition and other items against the armoury inventory. They will announce the exact number of recovered weapons after completing the verification.
Investigators had not formally shown the suspects as arrested until the latest reports.
Weapons disappear from high-security facility
Army personnel discovered the theft around 7.50am on August 31. They found the armoury open and the locks on weapon-storage boxes broken.
Personnel had last checked the weapons at 6pm on August 30.
The thieves took 12 firearms, including four AK-203 assault rifles, one INSAS rifle and seven pistols. They also took ammunition from the facility.
Bollarum police registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Investigators suspected an insider’s role because access to the armoury was restricted. They also found it difficult for anyone to remove nearly 40kg of weapons and ammunition without attracting attention.
The battalion’s main body, including its commanding officer, had gone to Pokhran in Rajasthan for field firing when personnel detected the breach.
Investigators questioned Army personnel, including guards, Agniveers and Army personnel responsible for armoury security.
The probe also found that CCTV cameras near the armoury remained switched off at night. The facility also had no anti-burglary alarm.
