CM directs to procure 4000 devices for E-tagging repeat criminals, monitoring dacoits activities through drones

Abdullah Jan

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired a meeting about law and order on Thursday and decided to acquire 4000 devices for E-tagging repeat street and drug criminals.

The CM decided to implement GEO-tagging and GPS utilization to prevent street and drug crimes in the hotspot areas of the city.

He instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide 14 drones, which were procured last month, to the police in Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore, and Shikarpur Districts to monitor the movement of criminals/dacoits and their hideouts.

“I know the police with the coordinated support of Rangers and other law enforcement agencies have made progress in controlling law & order, including street crimes in the city and kidnapping for ransom in the Kutcha area but we should take benefit of the latest technology in curbing the crime,” the CM said and added he had already provided enough funds to the police for equipment.

The meeting was held at CM House and was attended by provincial ministers, Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Zia Lanjar, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Additional IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, Secretary Local Govt Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Law, Secretary E&T Saleem Rajput and provincial heads of other law enforcement agencies.

The CM said we should not be complacent in terms of the Karachi Situation and its current crime rate index if we did not control drugs. He was of the view that our future generations and society at large would fully become prone to the use of drugs consequently leading to crimes and lawlessness.

“I committed to making Karachi a drug-safe city,” the CM said. At this, the IG Police told the CM that 574 drug dealers had been identified in the province, from them 299 had been rounded up and put in jail, five were eliminated and 270 were at large but would be arrested soon.

The CM was told that 4000 devices would be procured for E-tagging of repeat criminals which includes street and Narcotics dealers. CM said that he has given a budget to the police for the installation of trackers in Police vehicles which must be ensured.

He was informed that 3,302 police vehicles had been equipped with a tracker system.

The CM was told that on his instructions, hotspot areas of street crime and narcotics selling had been identified in most affected districts of Karachi. Necessary installations to carry out GEO-Tagging and utilize GPS Systems with associated technologies to prevent street crime and drug activities efficiently.

Murad Shah said that he has already issued instructions for monitoring of entry and exit points of the province. At this, he was told that entry/exit points of the province have been provided with facial recognition/ANPR cameras.

The CM was told that under the first Phase of Karachi Safe City, the work of installation of 1,300 cameras has been started. The CM said that Rs 5.6 bln was already released for the Safe City project.

To a question, the CM was told that 14 Drones have been purchased and given to Sukkur, Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur Districts police to monitor the movement of Criminals/dacoits and their hideouts.

Murad Shah directed the police to adopt the technology of laser-guided fencing to log them on the borders. He directed the IG police to coordinate with the NRTC, and explore its ways and means, and report him.

The CM was told that GPS or related technology would be used to forestall the possibility of any drug-related criminal activity through efficient monitoring.