160 electric detonators found near Army camp in Secunderabad; unrelated to arms theft case, say police

Three days after the discovery of theft of service weapons and ammunition from the Madras Regiment premises in Bollarum, Secunderabad Cantonment, 160 electric detonators were found near the Army camp on Wednesday (September 2, 2026). However, police have said the detonators were unrelated to the arms theft and were allegedly left behind during construction of a venture beside the golf course.An officer from the Malkajgiri Police confirmed that the detonators were found near the site of the construction venture beside the golf course on Wednesday afternoon. The material was allegedly abandoned by unidentified persons involved in the construction activity and was not connected to the theft of weapons from the Army premises.Army personnel noticed a suspicious plastic bucket near the rear wall of the firing range and alerted the Bollarum Police. On inspecting the bucket, police found 160 electric detonators packed in eight bundles.A bomb disposal team from Malkajgiri, accompanied by a sniffer dog, examined the material and identified it as 33A-size commercial electric detonators. Following the team’s directions, the detonators were secured at a safe location.The Bollarum police have registered a case against unidentified persons in connection with the abandonment of the detonators and are investigating their source and the circumstances in which they were left near the Army camp.Multiple agencies probe arms theftThe recovery of the detonators initially raised fresh security concerns as it came amid the ongoing investigation into the theft of four AK-203 assault rifles, an INSAS 1B1 rifle, six 9 mm Auto 1A pistols, a civilian 6.35-bore pistol and more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition from the 20 Madras Regiment premises.However, police have now clarified that the detonators have no connection with the weapons theft case.The Army weapons theft investigation is being conducted separately from an undisclosed location inside the defence area to maintain confidentiality. Military Intelligence has joined the probe, while the entire Malkajgiri police force, Hyderabad Task Force and the Counter Intelligence Cell are assisting the Army.Security restrictions remain in place inside the Secunderabad Cantonment area following the weapons theft. Published - September 03, 2026 12:21 pm IST