Rapid digitisation has brought about significant changes in the methods of committing crimes, with extortion, drug trafficking, financial fraud and other organised crimes being committed through digital means, the Sindh police chief said on Saturday.
IGP Javed Alam Odho said that to effectively arrest those involved in such crimes, it is essential that a technically advanced cybercrime unit be set up at provincial level.
Odho chaired a meeting at the Central Police Office to discuss the establishment of a cyber security & crime investigation department. The Counter Terrorism Department SSP briefed the meeting about the proposed name, aims and objectives, scope and institutional structure of the cybercrime unit.
He pointed out the increasing incidents of religious and sectarian incitement, white-collar crime, fraud, harassment and other cybercrimes, and the financial and social losses caused by them, stressing that the number of cybercrime complaints is continuously increasing.
He said investigation and legal action in such cases is limited, causing difficulties to citizens in getting timely justice, so the Sindh police need to be empowered to investigate cybercrimes under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. He proposed establishing a specialised institution to deal such crimes.
IGP Odho sought proposals for setting up such a unit, stressing that cybercrime cases be registered at police stations so that citizens can be provided immediate legal assistance at local level.
He said the proposal should include the recruitment of professional staff with expertise in IT, cyber security, digital forensics and artificial intelligence for effective investigation of cybercrimes. This unit will work under the Sindh police’s Crime & Investigation Department, he added.
He also said the unit would play an important role in investigating cybercrimes, preserving digital evidence and preventing crimes through modern investigative methods. Comprehensive proposals should be sent to the Sindh government for approval as soon as possible, he added.
