The Tuesday Interview: ‘Earlier, India was a transit point for drugs but now it has turned into a market’

Twenty-one years after he set up the country’s first ever cybercrime police station in Karnataka, senior IPS officer Alok Mohan is helming the state police as Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) when online fraudsters are running riot, reinventing their modus operandi and widening their net. Emphasising that speed is the key to cracking cybercrime cases and stopping the booty from reaching the culprits, the DG&IGP told DH’s Nina C George, that strengthening cybercrime police stations across the state is among his top priorities. Cracking down on the drug mafia, making the police more accessible and friendly to the people, and ensuring the safety of women are his other priorities. Excerpts:

Cybercrime is changing by the day. Are Karnataka police equipped to tackle these challenges?

Cybercrime cases have increased manifold, and their nature has changed drastically since I introduced the first cybercrime police station in 2003 as a DIGP, Economic Offences (CID). About 20,000 police personnel, right from constables to high-ranking officials, are being trained in tracking and investigating the ever-changing landscape of cybercrime. Today, there are 1,200 police stations across the state and 43 Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime Police Stations (CEN). We are ensuring that even ordinary police stations register and investigate cybercrime cases so that people don’t waste time. The SP, or the commissioner of police, transfers only the complicated cases to cybercrime stations. According to last year’s crime data, about 10% of all crimes registered in Karnataka and 25% of the criminal cases registered in Bengaluru are cybercrimes. We have now incorporated the use of cyber and mobile forensics while investigating cases.

Crackdown on drug mafia appears to be the state police’s top priority. Where does Karnataka figure in the drug scene in the country and the world?

Earlier, India was a transit point for drugs, but now it has turned into a market of its own. The number of both peddlers and users has increased. Our war against narcotics (through both enforcement and awareness) is an everyday battle where every officer keeps track of the trail and origin of drugs. In the last year alone, we have registered more than 6,700 cases and arrested more than 7,500 persons involved in drugs. Of this, 106 were foreigners. More than Rs 130 crore worth of drugs were seized. The conviction rates have improved. Some of the biggest drug seizures happened this year in Visakhapatnam and some in Bidar. Peddling drugs is profits, and hence peddlers refuse to give up the trade easily, but we have been successful in breaking quite a few nexuses and are tracking even more. We have launched drug awareness programmes, covering 3,000 schools and colleges, where more than four lakh youth were told about the harmful effects of drug use.

You have said that the safety of women and children is your priority.

Women are no longer tolerant and mute spectators of crimes against them. They are emboldened to register cases. Their families are also supportive. They don’t succumb to social stigma, and helping them do this is our police, who are receptive to their complaints. We make sure to register every single complaint, register an FIR based on the gravity of the case, investigate, and bring the culprits to justice, which has instilled confidence in women.

The Bengaluru traffic police have now introduced data-based analysis to find solutions to ease traffic congestion. Do you plan to make this a permanent part of the police system?

Karnataka Police has, for the last six months, started collating data to help them detect and analyse the pattern of cases, not only in traffic but also in law and order. This helps in devising long-term solutions to solve cases and fix issues. This has also helped put together a strong strategy to counter crime.

Moral policing seems to be on the rise. How do you plan to tackle it?

Cases of moral policing are harshly dealt with, and no one is spared. We keep a close watch on anti-social elements and book cases and don’t hesitate to put the culprits behind bars. We are also sending out a strong message of zero tolerance. All the recent cases have been investigated, and the culprits have been booked.

Police divert all protests to Freedom Park in Bengaluru. Why was Karnataka Rakshana Vedike allowed to hold its recent protest, of all the places, on the Airport Road?

The incident involving the members of Kannada Rakshana Vedike was unfortunate and did enough damage to dent Bengaluru’s image. People are free to express their opinion and draw attention to issues, but there are ways of doing it. Taking law and order into their own hands is certainly not the way. We detained more than 1,000 persons in that regard, and several arrests were made.

The issue for which they protested is largely a government-level policy issue, but such acts will not be tolerated. More than 10 cases were booked, and 50 persons were imprisoned for various offences.

What measures are you taking to curb goondaism and rowdyism?

Last year alone, more than 700 rowdies were given externment orders, and 65 of them were booked under the Goonda Act. In all districts, rowdies and their gangs are being monitored.