From the first round of raids against the Popular Front of India (PFI), freeing Buddha Pahad from Naxals in Jharkhand to terrorist encounters in J&K, investigating agencies relied on human resources than technology to gather intelligence for the successful completion of recent operations.
Sources told News18 during a high-level meeting held a few weeks ago, home minister Amit Shah stressed on last-mile human intelligence over technology-based information gathering system.
The central intelligence and law enforcement agencies, who initially used scientific and technology-based intelligence to gather information, completed their operations with the help of human resources.
Raids Against PFI
The central intelligence agencies were intercepting several leaders and members of PFI almost two weeks before the raids were organised.
They developed a source and gathered information about the leaders through human intelligence. Sources said this helped the agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) identify leaders especially in the Malabar House where many of them were present during the raid a couple of weeks ago.
Although the agencies relied on technology as well as human intelligence, but the raids and arrests executed after agencies received a go ahead from the ground by a developed source who had provided them with information and tip-offs.
Free Buddha Pahad
Former CRPF director general Kuldiep Singh had announced a few weeks ago in a press conference that forces have successfully freed ‘Buddha Pahad’ in Jharkhand, which has been a stronghold of Naxals for three decades. This was successfully conducted after the previous three operations by security personnel.
A CRPF camp has also been set up in Buddha Pahad, which is located in Latehar and Garhwa districts.
Sources told News18 that security forces, after multiple failed attempts to free the area, had decided to rely on human intelligence. The forces initially took help of technology to gather information but finally the execution of the operation was based on a human source who helped them take control of the area.
Sources said the last-mile intelligence gave accurate information, which was not possible through a technology-based system.
“Security forces depend on information gathered by intelligence wings and specialised agencies. In case of conducting a big operation, intelligence gathering remains the backbone of the whole operation.
“Let say, security forces want to operate against Naxals or terrorists, then phone interception, area mapping, digital analysis can narrow down the tentative area of the operation but the target can be locked and the plan can be executed successfully only if there is a confirmation from a human source; this just happened in multiple big operations. Unless we start using US, Russia like technology. But Israel intelligence is mostly dependent on human intelligence system backed by technology,” a senior government official told News18.
Encounters in J&K
While drones are rampantly used by security forces during encounters but agencies are now relying on humans to gather whereabouts of terrorists.
After receiving initial help from the technology-based intelligence, security agencies used human resources to carry out multiple operations in J&K to nab terrorists.
Failed Operation a Lesson
In April this year, a multi-agency operation was conducted against Naxals in Chhattisgarh. Bombs were dropped from drones after locking few locations, which were suspected to be the den of Naxals. The whole operation was based on intelligence gathered through technology like mapping and interception, but there was no final confirmation from human resource. Thus, no Naxal was killed in the operation.
During the analysis, it was found that relying on technology completely before carrying out an operation is not a foolproof way. A last confirmation from the ground or a human source is needed.
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