HYDERABAD: Urging police officers to become adept at using technology and think out of the box to find solutions within the framework of law, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan identified the anonymisation of crime, cybercrime and the misuse of social media as key challenges for law enforcement.
Addressing IPS probationers at the Dikshant Parade of the 78th regular recruit (2025 batch) at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) on Saturday, he said technology had made criminals increasingly opaque to law enforcement agencies.
“The final challenge that you will face, among so many others, is that of anonymisation of crime. Technology has made criminals opaque to law enforcement agencies. A threat call is made through a VPN from a foreign location and the extorted money is diverted through illegal crypto exchanges to foreign destinations of which we are not aware,” he said.
Criminals were also using the dark web to advertise contract killings and transfer money to those hired to carry them out. Technology had to keep pace with law enforcement efforts to tackle such crimes, he said.
Mohan said the Union government attached the highest priority to technology in policing and urged young officers to develop expertise in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence, irrespective of their academic backgrounds.
“We have set up a network of smart, young IPS officers who are doing excellent work in artificial intelligence. My entreaty to you is that irrespective of whether you are from an arts, humanities or social sciences background, technology is something you will have to grapple with, learn and work hard on,” he said.
He also warned that fake messages, deepfake videos and manipulated content on social media could trigger mobilisation and lead to law and order problems. Officers would have to find creative solutions that complied with the law while enabling effective policing.
Listing five priorities for law enforcement, Mohan identified narcotics, cybercrime, terrorism, the identification of illegal foreign nationals and the anonymisation of crime. He said cybercrime had become easier to perpetrate because of low entry barriers, the proliferation of bank accounts and the use of fake SIM cards.
On internal security, he said left-wing extremism had come to an end and insurgency in the Northeast had declined, but terrorism remained a concern. The recent blast near the Red Fort in Delhi showed that homegrown and foreign-inspired terrorism had not been eliminated, he said.
Mohan also read out a message from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting the importance of sensitivity in public service and the use of modern technology, surveillance and intelligence coordination to strengthen national security.
A total of 151 officer trainees, including 135 IPS officers and 16 foreign officers from Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, completed 45 weeks of Phase-I training. The batch includes 37 women officers. They will proceed to Delhi for attachments before returning to the academy for Phase-II training.
