THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The newly-announced economic offences wing (EOW) of the state police will become functional by next month. The government had decided to form an exclusive wing to probe cases pertaining to online financial frauds and other financial scams of bigger ramifications on the recommendation of the State Police Chief.
The wing has been sanctioned a manpower of 233 and will be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General (IG). The headquarters of the EOW will have 21 staff, including a DySP. The activities of the wing will be monitored by police superintendents (SP) in the police ranges, while the district-level operations will be helmed by DySPs.
A source told TNIE that the IG to head the wing will be picked up after the chief minister returns to Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur. The crime branch till 2018 had an EOW, which was scrapped by former police chief Loknath Behera as part of organisational restructuring.
The increase in economic offences and online frauds had prompted Behera to moot the proposal, which was actively endorsed by his successor Anil Kant. The rise in e-transactions and increase in volume of digital payments were another factor that compelled the police top bosses to think of carving out the special wing. A police source said the officers who have technical expertise and excellence in criminal investigation will be deployed in the new wing.