THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The festival of Onam is all about the arrival of Mahabali, the mythological king, to visit his people. It is also the season when people, working away from their loved ones, pay them a visit. For a group of 100 policemen attached to the Thiruvananthapuram City Police too, the season is all about paying visits. But the only difference is that instead of their families, they visit criminals. The above said policemen are the members of a Special Action Team constituted by the City Police Commissioner to ensure the smooth conduct of the Onam celebrations in the capital city. And, their main duty is to carry out surprise raids on the houses and hideouts of persons involved in criminal activities and apprehend them, if anything suspicious is found. According to City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham, ‘’the Special Action Team is as equally important as the 1,300 police personnel deployed across the city to check crime. They will work as an intelligence wing, who, besides conducting raids, will keep a close watch on criminals secretly in a bid to foil any potential organised crime.’’ ‘’As many as 600 persons, including 40 people in the goonda list of the police and 560 ex-convicts, are under the scanner of the Special Action Team,’’ said the Commissioner. The team members, who have started their operations from September 1 onwards, have already completed their first round visit to these men and served warnings. As many as 24 have been apprehended on various charges such as possessing weapons, ganja and drugs. ‘’Seven persons, whom the team found capable of causing a law and order problem anytime, have been barred from entering the city until the Onam celebrations are over,’’ said Manoj Abraham. The group of 100 policemen is further divided into 17 small teams, whose operations are being coordinated by the Assistant Commissioner of District Crime Records Bureau. Meanwhile, the security camera surveillance system of the city police will commence its functioning from Wednesday when the Onam celebrations in the capital city will be officially inaugurated. The system will have 160 cameras, including moving cameras temporarily installed at different locations in the city.
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