27-Jul-2022: Strengthening Of NCB
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) was established by the Govt. of India in exercise of powers conferred by sub section 3 of section 4 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 for the purpose of effectively preventing and combating abuse of narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances and its illicit trade. The Government of India provides all administrative and financial support to NCB for its smooth functioning and strengthening, as required from time to time.
Various steps to improve the technical and monitoring capability of NCB personnel are being undertaken, as detailed below:-
- In house training programmes on various subjects like crypto currencies, dark-net, digital surveillance, cybercrime information, cybercrime forensics, digital forensics etc. were conducted to improve technical competence and monitoring capabilities of NCB officials. The details of training programs organised in last 3 years is as follows:-
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
No. of trainings conducted |
24 |
20 |
24 |
|
No. of officers trained |
85 |
149 |
197 |
- NCB officials also attend various workshop and training programmes conducted by International organizations like United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and International Narcotics Control Bureau (INCB) etc. to enhance their technical capabilities and update themselves with the latest advancements.
- The officers of NCB are also nominated for various technical courses of similar nature conducted by other training institutions like Central Bureau of Investigation Academy, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), Central Academy for Police Training, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), National Forensic Science University, Gandhinagar (Gujarat).
15-Oct-2020: NCB affected multiple Pan-India operations wherein Mumbai emerged as major destination
Metro cities of India serve as the prime destination for various contrabands. NCB in synchronised operations at Mumbai and its connections with rest of India, has made various seizures and arrests which are having ramifications on the narcotics supply chain.
NCB is conducting massive operations against drug traffickers. In the pursuit of operations against drug trafficking, NCB has been conducting regular raids on possible hideouts of drug traffickers, after identifying their modus operandi and whereabouts.
Operation 1:-
On the basis of specific information, on 12.10.2020 team of NCB MZU had seized 1 kg of cocaine and 2 kg of P.C.P. (Phencyclidine) from One M. Ahmed from Vasai, Palghar. During interrogation, M. Ahmed revealed that the contrabands has been provided by one S.K. Saurabh for further selling. NCB team developed intelligence and on the basis of manual intelligence and technical surveillance, apprehended S.K Saurabh on 13.10.2020 from Vasai, Palghar. The sustained interrogation of S.K. Saurabh resulted in further recovery of 29.300 kg of MDA from his shop/Godown on 14.10.2020. S.K Saurabh further revealed that the drugs belong to A. Khanivadekar and R. Khanivadekar.
A. Khanivadekar has been apprehended and is under interrogation. During interrogation, he revealed that his brother R. Khanivadekar is accused in a DRI case of 483 kgs of Ephedrine and is on bail. Before the DRI raid, they had shifted the contrabands to the shop/Godown of S.K Saurabh and S.K Saurabh had taken out the above recovered contraband from that lot while shifting.
Operation 2:-
NCB Jammu Zonal Unit had affected a seizure of about 56.4 kg of Charas concealed in 55 packets at Ban Toll Plaza, Nagrota, Jammu on 15.09.2019 and apprehended M. Gupta, A. Gambir and Sonia, all residents of Delhi. Rs. 1,91,000/- and the XUV 500 SUV, which was used to conceal and traffic the contraband was also seized by NCB. The Charas was destined for Mumbai. In a combined operation between Ops Unit and Jammu Zonal Unit, the prime suspect of 56 kg Charas case (seized in Jammu on 15.09.2020) i.e Faruk Chandbadhsah Shaikh (age about 40 years) S/o Chandbadhsah Shaikh, R/o TA-5, Near By Musa Mension Zopadpatti Tank Pakhadi Road Byculla West, Hafijali Bahadurkhan Road (M.N.V.37) Khand Mumbai City 400011 was apprehanded from Mumbai- Pune Highway, along with one of his associates namely Kurban Ali S/o Mohd. Daud R/o H. No. 1933, Mustupha Raja Gali, Basani, Nagaur, Rajasthan.
During further interrogation, they revealed that they were also involved in one case of Mumbai, in which 6 kg Charas was seized from their other associates.
Operation 3:-
In another operation, NCB, Ops had apprehended one Pradeep Rajaram Sahni with 70 gms of Mephedrone in the area of Andheri West. Pradeep had disclosed that he used to supply Mephedrone to various persons in the Andheri and Juhu Area. He was employed as peon/runner with Balaji Telefilms Pvt. Ltd through a third party. The further distribution network of Pradeep Rajaram Sahni is being investigated.
Operation 4:-
In yet another action on the distribution network of drugs, NCB had arrested one Nigerian national namely Uka Emeka @ Godwin and 04 gms of cocaine has been recovered from him. The seized drug originated from a South American country and the drug trafficker is suspected to be delivering the contraband in the areas of Pali Hill Area, Bandra, Andheri, Juhu and Khar Area.
Further investigations of the forward linkages is underway.
NCB is committed to eradicate the menace of narco trafficking.
4-May-2018: Narcotics Control Bureau, India and Police Narcotics Bureau, Sri Lanka identify areas of future cooperation
The third bilateral meeting between Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India and Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), Sri Lanka on Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and related matters began.
The talks were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. The detailed discussion was held on latest trends in Narcotics smuggling in Indo-Sri Lankan sector, exchange of information and intelligence, assistance in tracing of Sri Lankan/Indian accused involved in cases of drug seizures in India/ Sri Lanka, important cases, gangs and traffickers detected/arrested, use of sea route to smuggle drugs and sharing of best practices and training needs.
NCB, India and PNB, Sri Lanka recognized the challenging drug situation in the region and identified useful areas of future cooperation including in field of information exchange, control delivery operations and training.
26-Jul-2022: Forensic Laboratories
As per available information, apart from the facilities in 7 Central Forensic Science Laboratories for forensic examination of technical and electronic evidence, Cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories have been commissioned in 28 States/ Union Territories, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal. A National Cyber Forensic Science Laboratory has been set up at the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Hyderabad to investigate important cases of digital fraud / cyber forensics.
The Government has approved a Scheme for Modernization of Forensic Capacities, which, inter-alia, will provide assistance to States/ Union Territories to develop high quality forensic science facilities with modern machinery and equipment, including cyber-forensics. Setting up of new facilities is an ongoing process and a function of demand and requirements in each State/ Union Territory.
The capacity addition in Forensic Science Laboratories will strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber-crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
In order to ensure quality in the forensic science laboratories, the Directorate of Forensic Science Services under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued Working Procedures Manual for examination of cyber case exhibits and a Standard list of Equipment for establishing/upgrading of Forensic Sciences Laboratories, including equipment for cyber-forensics.
The Central Forensic Science Laboratories have disposed 2190 cases with 31354 exhibits in cyber/ electronic evidences received from law enforcement agencies, Courts and Banks in the last year. Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CBI) is disposing on average 100 crime cases per month. Information on disposal of cases in States/ Union Territories is not maintained centrally.
A total of Rs.6.92 crore, Rs.7.91 crore, Rs.9.16 crore and Rs.5.19 crore have been released/ utilized in the years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and the current year respectively to raise the status of the present forensic laboratories and to establish such new laboratories. Funds are allocated as per requirement in the annual budget.
3-May-2022: The Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Bengaluru campus today
Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Bengaluru premises today. The Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah while addressing the gathering at the inaugural function said the Government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi has had a zero tolerance policy against terrorism from the very first day.
The Union Home Minister said security requirements today have changed significantly as compared to the earlier security challenges in terms of data, scope and complexity. Therefore, there is a need for legal and security agencies to have automated, secure and immediate access to information obtained from reliable sources. The Government has entrusted the task of developing and operating a state-of-the-art and innovative information technology platform for accessing information from the data collection organizations to NATGRID.
The Home Minister said that the Union Government will soon be developing a national database to monitor hawala transactions, terrorist funding, counterfeit currency, narcotics, bomb threats, illegal arms smuggling and other terrorist activities. He said intelligence and legal agencies should now be able to make full use of them with the barriers to critical data being removed. With the help of data analytics and information technology, there should be a paradigm shift in the current way of working of agencies. He expressed hope that NATGRID will fulfill the responsibility of linking various sources of data.
The Union Home Minister said NATGRID should have an in-built mechanism for continuous upgradation. There should be a study group in NATGRID to create a database of modes operandi of various crimes committed within the country. Shri Amit Shah said that C-DAC is implementing NATGRID in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India. He said for quick and effective analysis information should not be kept in silos, as it does not result in the analysis of information and getting it properly done in time. The Home Minister said that for analysis of information, it is important that Accessible, Affordable, Available, Accountable and Actionable points are kept in mind. Shri Amit Shah said the Police Technology Mission announced by Prime Minister Modi in the Director Generals of Police Conference will start soon.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah congratulated NATGRID employees for their achievements and also encouraged them to step up their efforts to take NATGRID to the next level. He expressed hope that NATGRID will build a strong foundation for intelligence departments and provide them with state-of-the-art tools in the fight against terrorist organizations and their supporters.
He requested user agencies to exercise caution and discretion in using this system, which should be used only for the correct purposes. They should also ensure that as much as possible, data from the system is used to improve their efficiency. He stressed that privacy and security of data is a very serious matter and assured that necessary protocols have been put in place to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to the personal data of any citizen through this system at any point of time.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, the Home Minister of Karnataka, Shri Araga Gyanendra, the Union Minister of State for Home, Shri Nishith Pramanik and the Union Home Secretary were also present at the inauguration ceremony.
The NATGRID CEO informed that the services of NATGRID solution will be available to 11 central agencies and police of all States and Union Territories. It will link user agencies with data holders, giving them access to real-time information needed for intelligence services and investigations. C-DAC Pune has been roped in as Technology Partner and IIT, Bhilai as Plan Management Consultant for the development of NATGRID solution.
12-Sep-2019: NATGRID wants to link social media accounts to central database
The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project wants to link social media accounts to the huge database of records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details among others.
The project, initially started in 2009 with a budget of ₹2,800 crore, is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them on one platform. At least 10 central agencies like Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and others will have access to the data on a secured platform.
The proposal has received resistance from the intelligence agencies, whose officials fear that linking the social media accounts to sensitive government data could expose the system to “trojan attacks.”
The project gathered pace in 2016, when the NDA government appointed an IB officer Ashok Patnaik as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). After Mr. Patnaik retired, NATGRID is now headed by IAS officer Ashish Gupta.
Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the progress of NATGRID. He was given a presentation on the present status of NATGRID but no decision was taken on structural issues.
NATGRID links intelligence and investigation agencies. The 10 user agencies will be linked independently with certain databases that would be procured from 21 providing organisations and include telecom, tax records, bank, immigration, etc. to enable the generation of intelligence inputs.
Linking the database to social media accounts could jeopardize the entire exercise as it could be exposed to unknown virus attacks from open source Internet. Intelligence agencies had also earlier opposed the NATGRID itself amid fears that it would impinge on their territory and possibly result in leaks on the leads they were working on to other agencies.
An expression of interest (EOI) issued by NATGRID in 2017 had said “NATGRID is intending to set up an Entity Extraction, Visualization and Analytics (EVA) system that would collect and analyse information available from various data sources.”
While NATGRID’s data recovery centre in Bengaluru has been constructed, its office complex in South Delhi is nearing completion.
In January, NATGRID revived its EOI to select a System Integrator (SI) to provide a software solution, recommend hardware specification for running the solution and integrating and implementing the composite EVA solution. The EOI specified that the company bidding for the project should have a turnover of at least ₹1,600 crore.