HYDERABAD: Eleven days after the sensational arms heist at the Madras Regiment armoury in Secunderabad Cantonment, TOI has reliably learnt that investigators have concluded it was an insider job. It is learnt that most of the weapons have been traced, according to sources.Telangana police brass refused to disclose details when contacted. One top police officer, however, said: “We got a strong lead. Give us time.”From the beginning, police suspected it was an inside job. Someone part of the sentry detail was behind the heist. However, investigators were yet to ascertain details like how many of them were involved in the conspiracy and how the weapons were shifted out of the armoury.Multiple agencies, like Counter-Intelligence of Telangana, Military Intelligence, Malkajgiri police, Hyderabad Task Force, NIA, and other central agencies were involved in the investigation. On the night of Aug 30, a security breach was noticed in two separate rooms of the armoury. The accused stole four AK-203 rifles, one INSAS rifle and seven pistols. Ammunition, along with a binocular, was also stolen from other room.The unprecedented development sent shock waves through security establishments and triggered a multi-agency investigation into how such a major security breach could have occurred at a military armoury.
