CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police is now equipped with an AI-powered Voice Recognition System, which houses a 'Voice Bank' of over 84,000 samples of known criminals and suspects under the Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS).
The system enables penetration of networks of various gangs operating from abroad and misguides the youngsters into carrying out illegal activities in the State.
Beyond voice identification, PAIS integrates a robust criminal database of over 3,90,000 offenders, complete with gang affiliations and phonetic search capabilities.
Its advanced Gang Tree Search tool allows investigators to visualise the hierarchy of organised crime networks, linking street-level crimes to their international masterminds.
Nearly 60 notorious gangsters linked to Punjab are operating from countries such as Canada, the United States, Italy, and others, and law enforcement agencies have been grappling with a new wave of 'remote-controlled' extortion, where threats are issued via encrypted apps and international virtual numbers.
With PAIS, the Punjab Police has strengthened the ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ operation, enabling smart and data-driven policing.
Additional DGP of Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Promod Ban said, "For years, foreign-based gangsters have exploited technology to run extortion rackets from safe havens abroad. Under the ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign, PAIS has become a force multiplier. Our AI-driven voice matching can identify the caller within minutes, allowing us to act swiftly and decisively."
PAIS also enables authorities to intercept crimes before they occur.
Recent operations have successfully thwarted targeted killings by tracking digital communications between foreign handlers and local recruits, leading to timely arrests and disruption of planned attacks.
“Earlier, we were often dealing with isolated incidents. Under the ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ strategy, PAIS allows us to see the entire ecosystem: who is funding, who is coordinating, and who is executing. This intelligence-led approach is helping us dismantle entire networks, not just arrest individuals,” he added.
This capability has empowered Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) to dismantle entire networks, not just individual criminals, further strengthening the impact of the state government’s crackdown.
Dedicated Fugitive Tracking Cells are also leveraging PAIS intelligence to coordinate with global agencies, including Interpol, for the identification and extradition of overseas-based gangsters.
Ban also noted, "Our Fugitive Tracking Cells are equipped with real-time intelligence from PAIS. This has significantly improved our coordination with international agencies and enhanced our ability to bring back offenders hiding abroad."
"This is a paradigm shift, from reactive policing to predictive policing. Under the campaign, we are able to identify threats, track conversations, and intervene before a crime is executed. That is the real power of AI in policing. Our message is clear: no matter where criminals operate from, we have the capability and the technology to track, expose, and bring them to justice,” he added.
