Theft from Madras Regiment armoury triggers high alert, online classes advised for cantonment schools

A theft of service weapons and ammunition from an Army establishment in Secunderabad has put the cantonment area on high alert, with schools advised to conduct classes online and defence organisations issuing alerts asking personnel to remain vigilant.

As per the FIR, 12 firearms, including four AK-203 assault rifles, an INSAS rifle, six 9 mm pistols and a civilian 6.35-bore pistol, were reported missing from the 20 Madras Regiment premises at Bollarum. A passive night-vision binocular, 21 magazines and more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition were also found missing.

The reported theft has triggered heightened security measures in the cantonment area. Defence organisations have sent alerts asking personnel to remain vigilant, while schools located inside the cantonment have been advised to take classes online as a precautionary measure.

The theft came to light at about 7.50 a.m. on Monday (August 31, 2026), when Army personnel opened the Kote and Battalion Magazine, where weapons and ammunition were stored. They found the locks of the premises and the boxes containing the weapons, control stores and ammunition forcibly broken.

The FIR states that the weapons and ammunition had last been physically accounted for at about 6 p.m. on August 30, before the Kote and Battalion Magazine were closed. The exact time and circumstances in which the weapons and ammunition disappeared are not known.

The missing service weapons include four 7.62 x 39 mm AK-203 assault rifles, along with five magazines. One 5.56 mm INSAS 1B1 rifle, along with three magazines, was also reported as missing.

Six 9 mm Auto 1A pistols were stolen along with 12 magazines. A civilian 6.35-bore pistol, along with one magazine, was also missing. A passive night-vision binocular was among the other items reported stolen.

The missing ammunition includes 720 rounds meant for the AK-203 rifles and 1,120 rounds meant for the 9 mm pistols, though the FIR states that the quantity of the latter was still being ascertained. It also includes 11 rounds of 5.56 mm INSAS ball ammunition, five tracer rounds and 20 blank rounds. The total value of the stolen property has been estimated at about ₹15 lakh.

The Army sought urgent police action to trace and recover the weapons and ammunition and identify those responsible.

Personnel questioned

Immediately after the discrepancy was detected, the unit authorities re-verified the complete weapon and ammunition holdings and accounting records. They searched the authorised storage areas and adjoining premises, checked issue and receipt registers and identified and questioned personnel who had authorised access to the storage and custody areas.

Detailed internal inquiry

The area concerned was secured and sealed wherever necessary, while senior authorities and the chain of command were informed. The Army has also initiated a detailed internal inquiry to establish the circumstances leading to the loss.

The FIR records the concern that the missing service weapons and ammunition could be unauthorisedly possessed, moved or misused. Police are consequently examining how the suspects gained entry to the highly secured premises, broke open the locks and accessed the storage areas.

The possibility of involvement of someone having authorised access is also being examined, though there is no conclusion at this stage. Police are checking the security arrangements and movements of personnel and are also expected to examine CCTV footage and other available records as part of the investigation.

The Bollarum police registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and handed over the investigation to the detective inspector for further investigation. The Malkajgiri police said an official statement on the incident would be released by the evening.

The recovery of the weapons and ammunition is now a priority for the police and Army, given the possibility of their unauthorised possession or misuse.