HYDERABAD, Sept. 11 -- The Telangana Police have detained a retired army havildar and two accomplices in connection with the August 30 theft of firearms from a Madras Regiment armoury at Bolarum in the Secunderabad cantonment area, officials said on Friday.

The breakthrough follows a multi-agency probe involving the Bolarum and Malkajgiri police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and military intelligence.

According to a senior Malkajgiri police official, a joint team searched the retired havildar's residence in Mahabubnagar late Thursday night. Stolen weapons and ammunition were subsequently recovered from a location in Hyderabad.

The army personnel is learnt to have previously served with the Madras Regiment and retired only a...