Hyderabad Arms Theft: Ex-Havildar Held for Stealing 12 Guns, Including 4 AK-47s, From Army Barracks

Hyderabad police, in a joint operation with military intelligence and specialized state units, have arrested a retired Havildar for stealing 12 firearms, including four AK-47 rifles, and a large cache of ammunition from the 20 Madras Regiment barracks at Bolarum. The accused, identified as Mallesh, was taken into custody after a multi-agency investigation tracked his movements and recovered the stolen weapons buried in his native district of Nagarkurnool.

The theft occurred on the night of August 30, triggering a high-level probe involving the Hyderabad Task Force, Malkajgiri Special Operations Team (SOT), Military Intelligence, and Telangana State Intelligence. Addressing the media, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand stated that investigators analyzed over 800,000 mobile numbers, reviewed local CCTV camera footage, and tracked deleted digital footprints to identify and locate the suspect. Hyderabad Cantonment Security Breach: 4 AK-47 Rifles, 6 Pistols and INSAS Rifle Stolen; Probe Launched.

According to authorities, Mallesh carried out a detailed reconnaissance of the military barracks on August 28 and 29. On August 30, around 11:00 PM, he entered the military establishment via the Kargil Gate in Balajinagar, extracted the arms and ammunition from the barracks, and concealed them locally before transporting them in his vehicle.

To evade highway toll plazas, the suspect took secondary rural routes through Sagar Ring Road, Devarakonda, and Dindi to reach his hometown in the Amrabad mandal of Nagarkurnool district. There, he buried the weapons and ammunition in a pit and covered the site with grass.

Investigators initially questioned Mallesh on September 7, but he refused to cooperate and wiped his phone call records and messaging history. Continued interrogation, combined with forensic call data analysis and family intervention, eventually led Mallesh to confess to the crime and reveal the hidden location of the armaments.

Ex-Army Officer Arrested, Stolen Weapons Recovered

A retired Army Havaldar allegedly used a scooty to carry stolen weapons and ammunition out of the highly secured Cantonment area of 20 Madras Regiment in Secunderabad.

The weapons were later recovered from the retired Havaldar in Nagar Kurnool, #Telangana. https://t.co/2g6Ul3laVX pic.twitter.com/wPIS2iMRRF

— Ashish (@KP_Aashish) September 11, 2026

Mallesh had served 16 years in the 20 Madras Battalion before taking retirement on June 30, 2026. Police officials stated that his primary motive was resentment and dissatisfaction surrounding his early exit from military service. A formal case remains registered at the Bolarum Police Station as legal proceedings against the former soldier move forward.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2026 09:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).