India: UNODC strengthens law enforcement capacities to counter cybercrime and drug trafficking 

Guwahati, India/24 August 2022: On the request of Assam Police, a capacity building training on cybercrimes, including drug trafficking, financial frauds, etc. was convened from 22 to 24 August 2022 at Guwahati. The training was attended by 73 operational level police officers from India’s six Northeastern states--namely Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.

Discussions focused on the nature of cybercrime and ways to leverage the internet to counter drug trafficking. The trainees were provided a detailed hands-on training in a specially set up computer lab.

Reflecting on the latest good practices and initiatives in this area, UNODC’s drug law enforcement expert Mr. Jayant Misra underscored the linkages between drug trafficking and organized crime and highlighted the need for stronger and comprehensive cooperation among law enforcement agencies on interdictions in the online space.

In his inaugural address, Special Director General, Assam Police and Police Commissioner, Guwahati Mr. Harmeet Singh emphasized the role of police in tackling cybercrime. He explained that drug trafficking is not a standalone crime and is associated with several other forms of crime and facilitated by organized and transnational criminal groups. He also emphasized the need of such specialized trainings and the necessity of a better coordinated efforts to tackle rising cybercrimes.

The three-day intensive training with hands-on exercises covered, in addition to drug trafficking and financial crimes, important themes including patterns and trends of cybercrimes, social media crimes and frauds, identity theft and frauds, cybercrime investigation tools, and computer forensics.

Participants welcomed UNODC’s efforts and requested for more such specialized trainings to enhance responses to counter drug trafficking.

This activity contributed to SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/ 

(Supported by the Government of India)