Patna: Bihar’s Special Task Force (STF) has intensified intelligence-led action against organised crime, preparing a list of more than 350 contract killers across the state while working to prevent criminal incidents before they occur.
The STF has arrested 1,716 criminals since January, including top-10 and hardcore offenders, and prevented 94 planned criminal incidents, according to STF DIG Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Singh shared the details during a press conference at the Sardar Patel Bhavan auditorium at Police Headquarters on Friday.
94 Crimes Prevented Before They Could Take Place
The STF’s strategy increasingly focuses on preventing crimes rather than acting only after an incident has occurred.
Of the 94 cases prevented, 40 involved planned murders, 48 involved robbery or snatching, and six related to other offences.
The STF has also prepared a database of active criminal gangs and their members at the district level. Officials are using the information to identify organised crime networks and conduct targeted arrests.
Among the 1,716 criminals arrested this year, 63 had rewards announced at the district or state level, while 27 accused were arrested outside Bihar and brought back to the state.
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Police Report 19 Encounters in Eight Months
Singh said police had 19 encounters with criminals during the past eight months. Three criminals were killed and 18 sustained injuries in these encounters.
The STF is also targeting land mafias as part of its organised crime crackdown. Authorities are identifying properties and other assets allegedly acquired through illegal activities and sending proposals to the Enforcement Directorate for action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The move is aimed at attacking criminal networks not only through arrests but also by targeting their suspected financial resources.
33 Mini Gun Factories Uncovered
Illegal arms manufacturing remains another major focus of the STF’s operations.
The force has uncovered 33 mini gun factories this year, recovering a range of firearms and ammunition. The seizures include one AK-47 rifle, two INSAS rifles, 398 country-made weapons and around 1,300 rounds of ammunition.
The National Investigation Agency is also investigating the wider network connected with illegal arms manufacturing.
113 Arrested in Interstate Gold and Bank Robbery Cases
The STF has also taken action against interstate gangs involved in bank, jewellery and gold robberies.
So far this year, investigators have recovered approximately 10 kg of stolen gold, 50 kg of silver and ₹11.97 lakh in cash.
Several interstate cases have been solved, including a jewellery shop robbery in Mysuru, Karnataka, a robbery in Daudnagar in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district and the Bank of Maharashtra branch robbery in Barbil, Odisha.
A total of 113 accused linked to interstate gold and bank robbery gangs have been arrested.
The STF has also solved 19 cybercrime cases and recovered 10 kidnapped persons from Patna, Nalanda, Jamui, Munger, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Samastipur and Kishanganj.
Drones Used for Surveillance and Mapping
The STF is also using technology to strengthen surveillance and intelligence gathering.
SP Anjani Kumar said the force currently has three drones, which are being used for aerial surveillance and drone mapping. Surveys covering 423 km across nine districts have already been carried out.
Drone-based operations have also supported action against illegal cultivation, with 99.86 acres of opium cultivation destroyed. In addition, the locations of 45 notorious criminals have been mapped.
Focus Shifts Towards Preventive Policing
The latest STF operations indicate a growing emphasis on intelligence-based and preventive policing in Bihar. The preparation of a dedicated list of more than 350 suspected contract killers, combined with gang databases, surveillance technology and financial investigations, is aimed at disrupting criminal networks before they can execute planned offences.
The arrests, recovery of illegal arms and stolen valuables, and prevention of planned crimes also underline the wider effort to strengthen law enforcement against organised crime across the state.
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