Crackdown on organised crime: NIA to launch national database of gangsters, jail networks, associates

“It was discussed in the meeting that a common database of the ‘organised criminals’ will be created by NIA and it will be designed in such a way that the participants of other states will not only be able to access the database, but they can also update it with the latest details of the criminals,” the source said.

Apart from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, it has been decided to include states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar in the database, a source said.

Sharing some of the key features of the database as per the discussion, a source said it would have the latest photographs of the criminals, biometric details, interrogation report, their logistics provider, weapon suppliers, and harbourers.

In the meeting, a senior inspector general-rank officer of NIA briefed the officers about the importance of creating a common database of organised criminals, which will be accessible to all law enforcement agencies. “To dismantle the ecosystem of organised criminals, he asked to focus on targeting their finance channel, to take regular action against the weapon suppliers, harbourers, social media managers, recruiters, hawala operators, logistics providers, fake passport and fake document providers,” the source said.

Talking about some of the key details of the database, a source said some of the police officers said during the meeting that they faced problems when crimes happened in their areas. The officer said when they started looking for the assailants, they do not have updated details of the gang members or their social media IDs. Sometimes, the officer concerned, who worked in these gangs, had been transferred and the new officer was unaware of such details to come up with a solution, added the officer.

“In this database of organised criminals, it has been decided so far to put their latest interrogation report, details of their operational areas and their associates, their money funding channel, and their latest phone numbers as well IDs,” the source said.

In the meeting, which lasted for around six hours, a senior officer of the Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF) flagged the increasing use of encrypted apps, VPNs, and “dabba calls” by the gangsters based abroad to carry out extortions.

“In his presentation, he also flagged the issue of lack of response from service providers and social media platforms for providing data as some of these platforms are being used for extortion as well as recruitment of new shooters,” the source said.

During a “dabba” call, which involves threats being made through a second phone or a dabba, a henchman of a gangster makes an extortion call using the Internet. Next, the henchman makes a second call using another phone to his boss sitting in a different country, keeps the two phones side-by-side, and turns on the loudspeaker to let the boss do the talking.

Additionally, a deputy commissioner of police from the Delhi Police suggested booking such criminals under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the source informed.