This is an archive article published on January 30, 2024
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Fingerprints to videos and photos, NIA builds its own database of terrorists

The National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC), which is modelled along the lines of the Global Terrorism Database of the US, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.

Fingerprints to videos and pictures, NIA builds its own terror databaseAccording to sources, details of the terrorists and their associates, including their case history, fingerprints, videos, pictures and social media profiles and information on the terror groups they belong to have been compiled.
3 min readNew DelhiJan 30, 2024 09:34 AM IST First published on: Jan 30, 2024 at 03:40 AM IST

THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency (NIA) has for the first time collected details of all terrorists – including those from Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba as well as Khalistani militant groups – and uploaded them in one common server at its headquarters in Delhi.

The National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC), which is modelled along the lines of the Global Terrorism Database of the US, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.

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According to sources, details of the terrorists and their associates, including their case history, fingerprints, videos, pictures and social media profiles and information on the terror groups they belong to have been compiled.

A source said that at the NTDFAC, the NIA has the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System with over 92 lakh fingerprint records, Integrated Monitoring of Terrorism with data of more than 22,000 terrorist cases along with their case studies, National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders with data of more than 5 lakh narco offenders, their source of funding, their involvement along with their cases registered in India, their latest pictures and social media profiles.

The NTDFAC will also have a face recognition system, which will help them scan pictures of suspects from any CCTV footage.

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Last year, Union Home Minister Shah had asked all state police forces and anti-terror agencies to adopt such a ruthless approach that no new terrorist group can be formed. “We need to not only combat terrorism but also dismantle its entire ecosystem…Terrorism has no boundaries and no state can face terrorism alone. We have to come together to root out this evil,” he had said at a two-day anti-terror conference organised by the NIA.

“The NTDFAC will not only help the NIA officers but also help state police forces to identify details of their suspect from this server. Currently, they have uploaded videos and photographs of the terrorists and their associates, but in future there are plans to also put voice samples to help identify the terrorists,” another source said.

So far, the Ministry of Home Affairs has banned 39 terror organisations and declared 56 people as designated terrorists under the UAPA.

The US’s Global Terrorism Database contains information on more than 125,000 domestic and international terrorist attacks that occurred between 1970 and 2013.

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is k... Read More

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