Amit Shah calls for common ATS structure in state police, strong anti-terror grid

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said a common ATS structure for the police force across the country and an impenetrable and strong anti-terrorism grid -- vigilant and capable of swift, result-oriented action -- are essential for "uniform preparation at every level" to counter terror attacks.

The home minister also said a new plan to launch "a 360-degree assault on organised crime" would be brought in the coming days, and that these databases would form a "core asset of the zero-terror policy".

Inaugurating the two-day Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025 organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Shah launched two databases -- the Organised Crime Network Database and the Weapons Database for lost, looted and recovered arms -- hosted by the NIA which will be used by the law enforcement agencies across the country.

Addressing the conference, which was attended by Union Ministers of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Union home secretary, R&AW secretary, director general of NIA, and senior officers from state police forces and central agencies, Shah highlighted the links between organised criminals and terrorists.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of zero-tolerance against terrorism, the annual conference has become a platform to deal with the emerging threats, Shah said.

Actionable points emerge from this conference and the NIA, along with all related agencies from the states, works throughout the year to implement them, Shah said, according to an official statement.

"Organised crime networks initially operate for the purpose of ransom and extortion, but when their leaders flee abroad and settle there, they automatically come into contact with terrorist organisations and then use the proceeds from ransom and extortion to spread terrorism within the country," Shah said.

Under the guidance of the NIA and CBI and with the cooperation of the Intelligence Bureau and by utilising this database, every state must eliminate these threats within their jurisdiction, Shah said.

The home minister also said the database of terrorists and criminals should be made a core asset of the zero-terror policy, the statement said.

A new standard of coordination, cooperation and communication among the DGP Conference, Security Strategy Conference, N-CORD meetings, and the Anti-Terror Conference has been developed, he said.

These four pillars cannot be seen in isolation, and running through them as a common thread is the Anti-Terrorism Conference, the statement quoted Shah as saying.

"When we establish a common ATS structure across the entire country, it provides us with an opportunity for uniform preparation at every level," Shah said.

"A common ATS structure for the police forces across the country is extremely important, and the DGPs from all the states should implement it as soon as possible," he added.

The home minister also said the ATS units of all the states should get into the habit of using intelligence sharing platforms -- NIDAAN and NATGRID -- to ensure that cases are not investigated in isolation, and the invisible links among them are brought to light.

Shah said the use of NATGRID should be made mandatory in certain investigations, and the use of NIDAAN should be made mandatory in certain cases, the statement said.

The home minister also emphasised ensuring active participation in the Multi Agency Centre and the National Memory Bank.

"The common ATS structure and operational uniformity give us an advantage in prosecuting terrorists. Unless we achieve operational uniformity, we cannot make an accurate assessment of threats, make proper use of intelligence sharing, or carry out coordinated counter-actions," Shah said.

He also emphasised ensuring uniformity -- from investigation to prosecution.

Asserting that as India's economic prowess grows, threats will also increase, Shah said the preparations to ensure the country's internal security do not begin on the borders; rather, they must start many miles away.

Shah also gave a call to develop a national grid -- vigilant and capable of swift, result-oriented action -- to counter cyber and information warfare, the misuse of economic networks, and the hybrid format of terrorism.

He said that building a multi-layer security model and working with a ruthless approach against terrorism can keep us secure in the coming days, the statement said.

Everyone should move forward with the principle of 'Duty to Share' instead of 'Need to Know', the home minister said.

The central agencies and state police have made good use of technology at their levels, but technology developed in silos and data collected in silos are like a gun without bullets, the statement quoted Shah as saying.

He said it is better if all data can communicate with each other and are created using the same technology.

Shah also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA and the IB to hold discussions to develop a seamless national-level framework for technology and data.

The database of terrorists and criminals should be made a core asset of the zero-terror policy, he said.

Shah also said he expects the director generals of police to implement the database framework in letter and spirit.

"In coming days, the country would bring a plan to launch a 360-degree assault on organised crime," Shah said. PTI ABS ARI