MHA moots a 360-degree assault on organised crime

Subhashis Mittra

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) is working on a common anti-terrorism squad (ATS) structure for the police force across the country to ensure ‘uniform preparation at every level’ to counter terror attacks. The MHA is also giving final touches to a new plan to launch ‘a 360-degree assault on organised crime’.

At a recent Anti-Terrorism Conference in the national capital, Union home minister Amit Shah launched two databases—the Organised Crime Network Database and the Weapons Database for lost, looted and recovered arms. These databases would form a ‘core asset of the zero-terror policy’ and would be used by the law enforcement agencies across the country for an impenetrable and strong anti-terrorism grid.

Shah highlighted the links between organised criminals and terrorists while addressing the meet attended by Union ministers of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Union home secretary, R&AW secretary, director general of National Investigation Agency (NIA), and senior officers from state police forces and central agencies.

“Organised crime networks initially operate for the purpose of ransom and extortion, but when their leaders flee abroad and settle there, they automatically come in contact with terrorist organisations and then use the proce