Hon’ble TN CM M.K.Stalin Avl. Speech At Southern States DSGP Coordination Conference, 2024

On behalf of the state of Tamil Nadu and as the Chief Minister, I welcome you all to this conference. All the southern states are working in coordination on issues like Law and Order, water management, etc. In this direction, today we have gathered here to deliberate on important issues such as narcotics, banned tobacco products, interstate criminal activities, cybercrime, and to protect our citizens from these threats and dangers. The Tamil Nadu Police has made remarkable achievements in tackling the challenges posed by these crimes. The Tamil Nadu Government and the Tamil Nadu Police have been handling the issue of the eradication of narcotic drugs with utmost seriousness.

We have taken stringent steps to reduce the supply, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs. With the continuous efforts of the Tamil Nadu Police, we have successfully eradicated the cultivation of Ganja in the State. We have adopted a two-pronged strategy: First – Along with arresting the culprits, we are also carrying out confiscation of property, freezing of bank accounts, sealing of shops, levying of fines, and obtaining convictions through strict enforcement. Second – Conducting awareness campaigns regarding the ill effects of drugs and the eradication of drug sales near educational institutions has also yielded remarkable results. Regular review meetings with senior officials have ensured that Tamil Nadu is on the right path in the eradication of drugs. The state of Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in conducting financial investigations against narcotics offenders. The action taken on the movable and immovable assets acquired through narcotic offences has effectively weakened the financial strength of narcotic offenders. However, the linkages and assets of narcotic offenders have spread over several states. This requires coordinated efforts, and we have gathered here to work in this direction. I seek your cooperation and assistance to the Tamil Nadu Police to arrest the accused and continue the investigation in other states.

I request the Tamil Nadu police to work in tandem with police from neighbouring states, specifically to curtail the transportation of banned tobacco products from neighbouring states to Tamil Nadu. On the basis of information provided by the Kerala Police, the Tamil Nadu Police recently successfully apprehended a notorious inter-state ATM burglary gang in Namakkal District. These culprits were fleeing from Thrissur in Kerala after committing ATM burglaries at three different locations. Investigations revealed that this gang had committed similar offences in several other states, and the Tamil Nadu Police immediately alerted the concerned states. I congratulate the Tamil Nadu Police and Kerala Police on this occasion for catching the culprits. Such coordination is the main purpose of conferences like this. Recently, the Tamil Nadu police uncovered illegal blending units that used rectified spirit smuggled from other states to manufacture illicit liquor. These illicit liquor gangs pose a serious threat. There is an urgent need for strict checks at state borders to prevent the entry of these harmful substances. By equipping border check posts with the latest technologies like ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras, advanced scanners, etc., we can improve our ability to detect contraband and also vehicles and criminals involved in past criminal activities. Cybercrime is an emerging and complex challenge, thriving across multiple jurisdictions and exploiting loopholes in legal procedures.

Tamil Nadu is a pioneer state in taking swift and effective action against cybercrime complaints. Often, the police of one state have to travel to another state to apprehend cybercrime offenders, and they are facing many hurdles along the way. Hence, we are compelled to work in coordination regarding cybercrimes as well and extend mutual assistance. It is alarming that, in 2023 alone, the accused in 1,390 cases belonged to other states, and many were arrested from outside Tamil Nadu, highlighting that coordinated efforts are necessary. The problem of cyber slavery—where educated youth seeking jobs abroad are lured into exploitation—has grown into a serious issue. Many of our youth suffer both mental and physical torture at the hands of criminals based in some South-East Asian countries. We shall strengthen coordination among us to combat such emerging threats.

This forum also provides us with a platform to discuss important aspects of internal security, including tackling extremism and terrorism. I urge the senior police officials gathered here to strengthen cooperation and coordination to tackle any kind of extremism and terrorism. Today, provocative and inciting content posted on social media is posing a threat to the maintenance of Law & Order in the state. This provocative social media content is detrimental to public peace and order. Such attempts were also made in Tamil Nadu to disrupt public peace, but we have nipped these nefarious attempts in the bud and taken stringent, effective action against the offenders. You are aware that many rumour mongers from other states who spread provocative content were apprehended and subjected to stringent legal action, including detention under NSA. I would like to mention here that in a case against a YouTuber, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Supreme Court observed that Tamil Nadu is a peaceful state and questioned them for spreading rumours with the intention of creating unrest.

Hence, we have to work in coordination with each other regarding the spread of rumours on social media and ensure the safety of our people. I also request you to share suggestions to effectively tackle them. The Tamil Nadu Police, being the host of this conference, has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with other states to ensure the effective implementation of inter-state cooperation across all fields of law enforcement, with a special emphasis on narcotics control, banned tobacco products enforcement, inter-state criminal gangs, and cybercrime. With strong coordination and sharing of information, let us tackle various challenges, including public peace and internal security and ensure safety of all our people. By fostering stronger collaboration and information sharing, we can collectively address these challenges and enhance security for all our citizens. Whether it is related to drugs, other crimes, or cyber offences, it demands our collective effort. With strong coordination we can protect our people and ensure a safe future for all and the state’s growth! Once again, I thank all of you for providing me with an opportunity to express my views. Thank you.

Issued By: – DIPR, Secretariat, Chennai – 9