A large quantity of firearms and ammunition has reportedly been stolen from the Madras Regiment in India’s heavily secured Secunderabad Cantonment, prompting separate investigations by the military and police.
According to a complaint filed by Madras Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Mayank Govitrekar at the Bolarum police station in Hyderabad, the theft came to light at about 8 am on August 31.
The complaint stated that weapons and ammunition were found missing after the armoury and battalion magazine were broken into.
According to the complaint, four AK-203 rifles, five magazines, three magazines for INSAS 1B1 rifles, six 9mm pistols and 12 magazines, one bore pistol and its magazine, a night-vision sight and ammunition were among the items stolen.
The missing ammunition also included 1,120 rounds for 9mm pistols, a further 36 rounds whose details were not immediately available, 720 rounds for AK-203 rifles and ammunition used with INSAS weapons.
The value of the stolen items was estimated at about INR 1.5 million.
Govitrekar said the weapons and ammunition had been accounted for when the armoury was closed at 6 pm on August 30, but the exact time of the theft was unknown.
He said the locks on the armoury and battalion magazine had been broken and that storage compartments inside had also been forced open.
The complaint said military officials had rechecked weapons and ammunition records, inspected other armouries and nearby locations, reviewed relevant records and questioned personnel with access to the facilities.
Neither the army nor police had issued a formal public statement on the theft at the time of the report.
