Shillong, Sept 29: In a bid to bolster Meghalaya Police’s capability to tackle threats of terrorism, a dedicated Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has been set up to specifically deal with terror-related cases in the state.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the temporary office of ATS at state police headquarters here in presence of Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong on Monday.
The ATS will have two units – one dedicated to jungle warfare and another for urban operations. The unit will be operational in Garo Hills and equipped with specialized weapons, equipment, and training resources.
The ATS is a dedicated team headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and will be responsible for handling terror-related threats, including bomb threats and suspicious elements, within the state, Tynsong told reporters after the two-day Superintendents of Police and Commandants (SPs-COs) Conference chaired by the Chief Minister.
“The ATS is a separate cell that will take over and respond to terror threats, ensuring the safety and security of the state. The team has been specialized to deal with bomb threats and suspicious packages, and will immediately take care of such situations,” he said.
Asked if the ATS is similar to the National Security Guard (NSG), Tynsong clarified that while the ATS is a dedicated team within the police headquarters, it is not necessarily equivalent to the NSG. However, the ATS will be equipped to tackle terror-related situations effectively.
On manpower, Tynsong said the police department is currently managing with the existing personnel, but recruitment is under way to further strengthen the force. He assured that the process of recruitment is in its final stage and will help augment the manpower in the police department, including the ATS.
Further explaining, DIG Eastern Range Davies NR Marak said the ATS will be a specialised agency that will encompass all activities related to terrorism, including operations, intelligence collection, and investigation.
Marak explained that while the police already have existing units that handle different aspects of policing, there is a need for a unified and specialized unit that can focus exclusively on terrorism.
“This has been mandated by MHA to set up a very focused and specific unit to look after all terrorism related matters, be it operations, be it intelligence collection, be it investigation etc.,” he said.
Marak stated that the ATS will require different types of police personnel for various operational requirements. The unit will recruit personnel with specialized skills and training to effectively deal with terrorism-related cases.
Meanwhile, the conference saw presentations and discussions on several key topics, including cybercrime, new criminal laws, anti-infiltration efforts, and anti-narcotics initiatives.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Pankaj Kumar Rasgania, in charge of Cyber Crime, briefed the meeting on the functioning of the cybercrime branch.
Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and other officials shared views on how to improve the cell. Additionally, AIG Law and Order GW Lyngdoh MPS updated the meeting on the implementation of new criminal laws passed by Parliament.
MGT Sangma, heading the Anti-Infiltration Directorate, presented details to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and other officials.
The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the directorate’s functioning. The Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF), supervised by Giri Prasad, also made a presentation on its efforts to eradicate narcotics from the state.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also remotely flagged off mobile forensic crime scene units for all 12 districts in Meghalaya. Each unit is fully equipped to collect and analyze evidence.
“This is an achievement made by the government. I am sure with the flagging off of these units, the directorate of forensic will at least complete testing at the earliest possible and submit the report to the appropriate authorities,” Tynsong said.
Further, the deputy chief minister announced the government’s decision to further strengthen the Directorate of Prosecution.
“In fact, we already appointed a full-fledged Director and then we need more manpower in the Directorate of Prosecution because this is the department where we need specialized people so that we can speed up all those pending cases and then it can ultimately come to a conclusion,” he stated.
