A fresh development has emerged in the investigation into the theft of firearms and ammunition from an Army facility in Bollarum, Secunderabad Cantonment, after around 160 electric detonators were discovered near the Madras Regiment firing range.

Army personnel conducting searches in the area reportedly noticed a suspicious plastic bucket behind the firing range on Wednesday. Police were alerted, and a bomb disposal team was called to examine the material.

The detonators were found packed in eight bundles of 20 each. The bomb disposal team secured the material and the police subsequently registered a case under the Explosive Substances Act while beginning an investigation into where the detonators came from and why they were left at the location.

Police clarify: No confirmed link to armoury theft

Although the recovery happened during searches linked to the missing weapons, police have stressed that the detonators have not been linked to the Army theft.

A senior police official told PTI that the material was found outside the Army area, in a private real-estate venture, and was not Army property. Investigators suspect the commercial detonators may have been used by land developers to break large rocks during construction work more than a year ago.

Authorities are nevertheless investigating the circumstances surrounding the abandoned material and attempting to establish its source.

Army weapons theft under investigation

The detonator discovery comes days after a major security breach at the Madras Regiment facility in Bollarum.

The theft, detected on August 31, involved five assault rifles, seven pistols, 21 magazines and ammunition, along with a passive night-vision device, according to Army officials. The stolen weapons included AK-203 assault rifles and an INSAS rifle.

The Army and police have launched a multi-agency investigation to trace the missing weapons and determine how they were removed from a restricted facility. Military Intelligence has also joined the probe, while personnel with authorised access to the armoury are being questioned.

Investigators are examining security arrangements, access records and CCTV footage as they try to determine whether the theft involved outsiders, insiders or a combination of factors.

For now, officials are treating the detonator recovery and the Army weapons theft as separate matters unless evidence establishes a connection.