J&K Police to use GPS technology to thwart weapon loot

SRINAGAR — In a major development to advance its technical capabilities and to prevent weapon snatching incidents, the Jammu and Kashmir police is all set to procure Weapon Safety and Tracking System that will not only help prevent the weapon loot but also track the snatched weapons.

According to reports reaching here, the need for WSTS was felt after spurt in the weapon snatching incidents in J&K since year 2016. As per official reports, over 200 weapons including AK-47s, self-loading rifles (SLRs) and INSAS rifles besides a large number of ammunition were snatched by the militants in the erstwhile state during the last three years.

The J&K police have floated tenders for purchasing Weapon Safety and Tracking System to ensure the safety of its arms and ammunition. “Tenders have been invited from manufacturers or their authorized dealers for the supply of Weapon Safety and Tracking Systems (WSTS),” read the tenders floated by the Police Headquarters under NIT number 03 of 2020.

A top police official said that WSTS will have trigger-based locking units with GPS trackers so that they cannot be misused and can be speedily traced if looted. “Such devices should also be compatible with fire arms and could be removed only by the biometrics of authorised users. Any forcible removal will damage the whole trigger mechanism system,” the official said.

The system also carries finger and palm print scanners fitted in the grip to operate trigger locks, the police official said.

Another official said that overindulgence in use of smartphones by police personnel was a major reason for the spike in gun-snatching incidents in Kashmir. “That’s why we had issued an advisory banning use of smartphones by policemen during duty hours,” he said.

Sources in the police said that even if the militants succeed in looting weapons, they won’t be able to use the weapon as the trigger-system will be locked and can be used by the authorized person only. “The new system will help track down the looted weapon through GPS,” they said.