Telangana Police cracked the Bollarum armoury weapons heist, recovering the entire stolen cache. A retired Army Havildar, U Mallesh, was identified as the culprit who exploited his familiarity with the facility to carry out the theft.
Telangana State Police has cracked the weapons heist from the 20 Madras Regiment Armoury at Bollarum and recovered the entire stolen cache, including firearms, magazines, night-vision equipment and live ammunition.
Given the sensitivity of the case, the police deployed teams from State Intelligence, HCP Task Force and Malkajgiri SOT in close coordination with Military Intelligence.
Police Investigation and Challenges
However, extensive technical analysis, mobile forensics and CCTV examination did not yield an immediate breakthrough. The teams examined several possibilities, including organised crime, mafia networks, drug cartels, espionage and potential threats to national security.
In a post on X, Telangana Police shared, “Telangana State Police has successfully cracked the sensational weapons heist from the 20 Madras Regiment Armoury at Bollarum. Given the sensitivity of the case, we deployed our best teams from State Intelligence, HCP Task Force and Malkajgiri SOT, in close coordination with Military Intelligence.” Telangana State Police has successfully cracked the sensational weapons heist from the 20 Madras Regiment Armoury at Bollarum. Given the sensitivity of the case, we deployed our best teams from State Intelligence, HCP Task Force and Malkajgiri SOT, in close coordination with… pic.twitter.com/iRMl2faAsC — Telangana Police (@TelanganaCOPs) September 12, 2026 “However, extensive technical analysis, mobile forensics and CCTV examination did not yield an immediate breakthrough. Our teams examined several possibilities, including organised crime, mafia networks, drug cartels, espionage and potential threats to national security,” the post read.
Breakthrough: Retired Havildar Arrested
Fresh leads and thorough analysis eventually narrowed the investigation to U Mallesh, a retired Indian Army Havildar.
According to the police, Mallesh exploited his familiarity with the facility and its security procedures during the intervening night of August 30 and 31 to steal weapons, ammunition and equipment.
He had studied the security arrangements for three days and identified gaps in CCTV coverage before carrying out the theft.
After committing the theft, he also attempted to create an alibi.
Stolen Cache Recovered
The entire stolen cache has been recovered, including 12 firearms, 21 magazines, a night-vision binocular and more than 1,900 live rounds.
Further investigation into the case is underway. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)