Haryana Police is planning to strengthen the Special Task Force (STF) by inducting 100 highly-qualified cyber experts to crackdown on high-profile active criminals on social media platforms, Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu said on Monday.
He said that in view of its performance and the need to tackle cyber crime, the STF would be strengthened.
“The STF of Haryana Police formed in January this year with 40 men to deal with organized crimes has performed exceedingly well by arresting 13 most-wanted criminals and in seizing huge quantity of illicit arms as well as narcotics so far,” Sandhu said.
Going a step further, Haryana Police is now planning to strengthen STF by inducting 100 highly-qualified cyber experts to tackle cyber crime, he said.
He said that the arrests by STF were made in crime related to narcotics, extortion, gang wars and of notorious criminals.
The DGP said that State Police is serious in providing safety and security to its people at all places and introduced STF to deal with the menace of organized crime especially in the NCR areas in the state.
He also congratulated the STF team for its significant achievements in a short period.
Giving details about the seizure of illicit arms and narcotics, Additional Director General of Police Crime, PK Agarwal said that STF sleuths have so far recovered 50 country-made pistols, one revolver, one rifle, four pistols and 76 rounds. Apart from this, it had also seized 57 kg 600 gm poppy straw, 22 kg 900 gm cannabis, 1 kg 402 gm opium, 4.138 kg brown sugar and 53.50 gram heroin.
Agarwal said that STF had identified 20 most wanted criminals who were dreaded and spreading their criminal activities in the states of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, western UP, Chandigarh and Punjab. Due to continuous fear and pressure of STF, most of these criminals are staying out of Haryana.
He said that STF had killed dreaded gangster Balraj Bhatti in an encounter in Noida. He was a member of Sunder Bhatti gang and carried a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head.
In addition, STF had recently arrested most wanted criminal Sampat Nehra, a member of lawrence Bishnoi gang, from Hyderabad. He was wanted by Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh Police. The police had fixed a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on his head, he said.