During a weapons search operation, army personnel stumbled upon around 160 electric detonators hidden in an abandoned plastic bucket near the Madras Regiment firing range. (File photo)
They received an alert from an Army Subedar late on Wednesday evening stating that about 160 electric detonators were found in an abandoned plastic bucket behind the firing range at Madras Regiment, according to Bollarum police. Earlier on Aug 31, an officer of Madras Regiment lodged a complaint with Bollarum police alleging that four AK-203 assault rifles, one INSAS rifle, seven pistols, a night vision binocular and over 1,000 rounds of live ammunition were stolen late on Sunday from the regiment’s armoury at Bollarum.
We are trying to find out the source of the detonators,” said a Bollarum police officer. Alerted by the Army personnel, police registered a suo motu case under the Explosive Substances Act. “The detonators were found while Army personnel were scouring the area for stolen firearms and ammunition. We have seized the detonators with the help of a bomb disposal squad. They were found in a private venture.
A burglary case was registered and a multi-agency investigation has been launched to trace the missing weapons.