The theft of 12 weapons, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and a pair of passive night-vision binoculars from the high-security Secunderabad Cantonment near Hyderabad in Telangana is suspected to be an inside job, according to police sources. The incident likely occurred within a 12-hour window from 6 PM on August 30 to 6 AM on August 31.
Discovery of the Theft
The theft was detected when the kote (armoury) and the ammunition storage were opened, revealing broken door locks. A police officer involved in the investigation stated,
“"It’s most definitely an inside job."
Investigation Insights
Authorities suspect that a section of defence personnel with access to the kote may be involved. Three key reasons support this theory:
- The armoury is guarded around the clock.
- Army guards were present at the time of the theft.
- The guards did not activate the manual alarm.
The police have already questioned several defence personnel regarding the incident, focusing on why the guards failed to notice the crime or appeared to be feigning ignorance. Among those questioned are both senior and junior personnel.
