In order to spot repeated offenders and establish the identity of woodcutters and smugglers on the spot when arrested, the Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) is developing a software — Smugglers Identification Number System (SINS) — by involving the services of a Hyderabad-based company.
The software is likely to be introduced in February, 2017 marking the second anniversary of the formation of the RSASTF.
It would be modelled in such a way that it would be used through smartphones. In the event of apprehending a batch of woodcutters in forests and smugglers anywhere, the Task Force officials by recording their thumbprints could trace their antecedents.
The database of all the accused, including those under trial and bails, who had so far come under the orbit of the forest, police and task force parties would be linked together.
The software would detect the repeat offenders and this would enable their prosecution as per the amended Forest Act.
RSASTF head and DIG M. Kantha Rao said the SINS software would also go a long way in creating fear among the woodcutters and smugglers that they were vulnerable to easy detection and their past records would also be exposed.
The advanced software like Facial Recognition System (FRS) software would further help in identifying the movement of notorious smugglers and repeat offenders and this could be installed at vulnerable areas such as bus stations, railway stations and their meeting points.
The Red Sanders Smuggling Accused Information System (RAIS) developed by Chittoor SP Ghattamaneni Srinivas is loaded with details of hundreds of the accused and those who are under trial or elusive, including some foreign nationals.
DGP N. Sambasiva Rao had appreciated the Chittoor police for successful grounding of the PINS (Property Identification Number System) to detect the vehicles used by the smugglers in clandestine transport of red sanders during his visit a couple of days ago.
