Maharashtra Police Uses Drones To Keep Check On Illegal Sand And Liquor Mafia

In yet another measure to control law and order in the state of Maharashtra, police officers will use hi-tech drones to conduct raids on illegal bootleggers and sand dredgers. Recently, the Ministry of Environment had expressed its concern over illegal sand mining. Rampant sand dredging by the use of pumps has been banned by the government. The motive behind the use of drones is to collect evidence and to ascertain the number of accused present at the crime scene.

In Maharashtra, illicit liquor has been produced inside dense jungles near creeks and rivers. Creek or river water is used to produce liquor by burning wood inside the dense mangrove jungles. Mangroves are considered a lifeline for Mumbaikars as they help to control floods. Destruction of mangroves is a cognizable and punishable offense. Incidents of police officers being attacked by sand and liquor mafias have been reported in the past few years. Cracking down on such miscreants becomes difficult as they take advantage of low light inside dense jungles.

A senior IPS officer from Maharashtra police department said, "We have our technical team which manages such gadgets. Drones with thermal cameras are used at night to ascertain the number of persons present at the crime scene. It also helps us to collect evidence against such accused. This enables us to create a strong case in courts."

He further said, "Several incidents of police officers and state government officials from the Revenue department were attacked by sand and liquor mafias. In order to avoid such incidents, we first check their locations and ascertain the number of persons at the spot. After which a scouting team sends information to the team conducting the raid and then we enter the area which normally is a dense forest cover."

Recently, the Mumbai police department demonstrated its Anti-drone system during Ganpati Visarjan in the city. Police officers had appealed to residents to avoid using drones during immersions. Mumbai police had sought help from a private firm based in Singapore to tackle drones used by individuals.