LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday formally approved the establishment of the first Crime Control Department (CCD) with an aim to curb organised crime and protect life and propertyin the province.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz accorded the approval while presiding over a meeting.

She was informed that the CCD would provide services to reduce seven major organised crimes, including trafficking of drugs, elimination of no-go areas, security of sensitive events, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, robbery-murder, and robbery-rape cases.

The CCD will use modern technology to combat organised crimes and it was decided to provide drone surveillance technology to department. In case ofoccurrence of any crime, the surveillance drone will reach the scene within five minutes and start the monitoring process. The CCD will immediately take action to apprehend the culprits in case of murder and rape incidents. Every district will have one CCD police station like the CTD.

The CCD will take immediate action to overcome the shooter mafia in different areas of the province. The CCD will also take action against the organised land grabber mafia. The CCD will be active in controlling gangster rackets and other mafias.

Immediate action will be taken against dacoity, robbery, rape, murder, organised theft and land mafia. The CCD will also be responsible for data management related to crimes and criminals across Punjab.

The CM approved appointments in the CCD as an additional inspector general of police (IGP) will head the department while three DIGs, SSP, and SP were also appointed at the divisional headquarters and a DSP in each district.

The CCD will consist of 4,258 officers and personnel. As many as 2,258 officers and personnel are being transferred to CCD immediately from the Punjab police.The CM also approved buildings, vehicles and modern equipment for CCD and directed immediate steps for the establishment and legislation for CCD in the meeting.

She also ordered required resources for the department. `The department will bring a clear reduction in crime rate in the province. The establishment of CCD should instil fear in the criminal elements. Dearth of resources should not be allowed to stand in the way of ensuring public safety. The best possible technology should be acquired to combat crime across Punjab,` she said.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar appreciated the establishment of CCD in the province.

Talking to Dawn, he said the police department had proposed the government to start the CCD, riot control and cyber crime departments in the police.

He said that the government had accepted the proposal of the department and `is forming these specialised units in the police to control crime.

He said that Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) police will also continue to work in the city and it would deal with organised crime and its name will not changed. `On my recommendation, the government hah appointed a DIG tohead the CIA Lahore which was earlier headed by an SP,` he said.

Mr Anwar said the proposal was first presented in the interim government period and an ordinance was promulgated to develop the CCD and its name was proposed as Organised Crime Unit (OCU) which was now made CCD like CTD.

He said the department would focus on organised crime in the province and would bring betterment in the province.

He said that CCD`s major responsibilities include ensuring the arrest and conviction of major drug dealers and dangerous criminals, elimination of no-go areas, security of sensitive events, kidnapping, extortion, while coordination with other districts to curb vehicle theft, land mafia, interprovincial gangs, and criminals is also part of their duties.

An official on condition of anonymity told Dawn that the specialisation should be promoted in police and this department would help reduce the crime.

He said in the past there was no centralised body to conduct raids to arrest inter-district robber gangs and it was the prerogative of the district police officer (DPO) to form any unit or not in the district to curb the crime.