The statement was made against the backdrop of the rising crime rate witnessed in the State, including some of the heinous crimes.
The Chief Minister’s statement was received as an escape tactic and a way to shrug off the responsibility and accountability for the deteriorating law and order situation of the State. However, he is being proved right, and a glance at the tenure of the Pramod Sawant-led governments since 2019 reveals that ‘business crime’ is thriving in the State and Goa has become a safe haven for such criminals.
On Tuesday, Crime Branch officials busted a fake call centre at Colvale, engaged in duping several victims from the United States of America (USA) under the pretext of running an Amazon Customer Service Centre. This is Goa’s second major raid on fake call centres in the last four months. The number of fake call centres and fake customer care centres that have been busted in Goa should be a matter of concern for everyone and leaves one pondering whether this Goa’s Jamtara moment.
Jamtara is a district in Jharkhand which has the dubious distinction of being the ‘phishing capital’ of India.
The web series ‘Jamtara’ has very objectively portrayed how the tricks of siphoning off people have been improvised in the post-demonetisation economy of the country. The use of online banking and app-based financial transactions has increased multiple times and so have the means and options to scam people. The world has moved a long way from absent-minded trappings to unknown techniques for providing all the information to criminals. With technological advancements, fraudsters have more ways to gain access to one’s data.
According to a survey conducted last year, 42% Indians surveyed experienced financial fraud in the last three years, while only 17% of those who experienced financial fraud were able to get their funds back. And in the last three years, bank account fraud, fraud by fly-by-night eCommerce operators, credit and debit card frauds account for most incidents.
However, tech criminals’ newfound destination – Goa – has over the years been a safe destination, hideout and haven for criminals from across the globe, including those with terror antecedents. Thus, in the new age crime scenario, Goa Police by the acknowledgement of its incumbent Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh, that the launch of 5G services will lead to an increase in cyber-crimes in the State, should prepare robust mechanisms to tackle business crime.
But the ray of hope in the darkness of the criminal den is that, unlike Jamtara where the local youth have been actively involved in criminal activity, so far, the fake call centres busted in Goa have been established by ‘migrant business criminals’ and Goans, by and large, have been passive participants.
However, one of the most important issues that hamper the iron fist attack on the crime rate in the State is the connivance of a few rotten apples within the system. Even in the current fake call centre at Colvale, sources have revealed that the accused have alleged that the police were provided with their share regularly and some cops were assigned to shelter the dubious activities.
Thus, the foremost task for the Goa government to punish those policemen, officials and civilians aiding the crimes in the State; and simultaneously, in coordination with the governments and agencies already fighting the menace, prepare a robust plan to nib in the bud another ‘Jamtara’ in India.
