160 detonators, 12 stolen weapons, two separate cases

Police say 160 commercial electric detonators found near the Madras Regiment firing range in Secunderabad are unrelated to the theft of 12 weapons from Army premises. The discovery does not, on the available record, show that the weapons-theft investigation has widened. It shows two cases near each other, which is apparently enough for arithmetic to become optional in some coverage.

The detonators were found on September 2, 2026, in a plastic bucket near the rear wall of the firing range, reportedly packed in eight bundles of 20. A Malkajgiri Bomb Disposal team identified them as 33A-size commercial electric detonators and secured them for disposal. Bollaram police registered a case against unidentified persons under the Explosive Substances Act. Police suspect they may have been left by developers or contractors after earlier blasting work, but that remains an investigative theory.

The weapons theft was detected on August 31 after locks on arms-storage areas at the 20 Madras Regiment premises were found broken. Reports put the missing inventory at four AK-203 rifles, one INSAS rifle and seven pistols, along with magazines, night-vision equipment and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The Army has reportedly begun an internal inquiry. The precise ammunition count, recovery status and suspect details have not been established from a public primary document.