164 Shakthi teams constituted to tackle crimes against women, children in Andhra Pradesh

Director-General of Police Harish Kumar Gutpa showing the Sakthi App downloaded on a tab during a press conference held at the police headquarters at Mangalagiri on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI

The Andhra Pradesh Police have constituted 164 Shakthi teams to check crime against women and children in the State. The teams will respond to women in distress as well as rescue, missing and harassment cases, said Director-General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta on Thursday (March 13).

Each district will have two Shakthi teams, and four teams will work under each police commissionerate. Police will conduct awareness programmes on how to download and operate Shakthi App, the DGP said.

“All the Shakthi police stations and teams will work under the Women and Child Safety wing, headed by senior police officers,” the DGP said during a press conference held at the police headquarters here.

70,000 kg ganja destroyed

Police will conduct an inter-State coordination meeting in Visakhapatnam by March end to prevent the smuggling of ganja and other drugs. The officers will discuss checking cultivation, smuggling, supply chain and peddlers, Mr. Harish Kumar Gupta said.

The DGP explained that the police destroyed ganja cultivation on about 11,000 acres and 70,000 kg stocks over the past two months.

331 cybercrime cases booked

Regarding cybercrime and cyber financial frauds, he said 331 cases of cyber frauds were registered over the past few days. The police will invoke the Preventive Detention Act against the offenders in cyber fraud cases, he said.

People are requested not to respond to unknown calls or click on such links. Since the culprits change their modus operandi every day, police are conducting awareness programmes for the public on how to avoid malicious calls, the DGP said.

Steps were being taken to improve cyber forensics, investigation and technical skills among the officers in cybercrime police stations and conduct public outreach programmes, Mr. Harish Kumar Gupta said.

Additional DGP (Law and Order) N. Madhusudhan Reddy, IGP and Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) head A. Ravi Krishna, IGs Raja Kumari, K.V. Mohan Rao, AIG Siddharth Kaushal and other officers were present.