Punjab Police deploy AI-powered tool PAIS to crack down on global gang networks

To counter organised crime, Punjab Police is now equipped with an AI-powered voice recognition system called Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS).

The voice recognition system houses a “Voice Bank” of over 84,000 samples of known criminals and suspects.

Nearly 60 notorious gangsters linked to Punjab are operating from countries such as Canada, the United States, Italy and others. Law enforcement agencies have also been grappling with a new wave of remote-controlled extortion, where threats are issued via encrypted apps and international virtual numbers.

These gangs operate from abroad and misguide Punjab’s youth into carrying out illegal activities in the state, said Promod Ban, ADGP, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).

Ban shared that beyond voice identification, PAIS integrates a robust criminal database of over 3,90,000 offenders, complete with gang affiliations and phonetic search capabilities. Its advanced “Gang Tree Search” tool allows investigators to visualise the hierarchy of organised crime networks, linking street-level crimes to their international masterminds.

“For years, foreign-based gangsters have exploited technology to run extortion rackets from safe havens abroad. Under the ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign of the Bhagwant Mann Government, PAIS has become a force multiplier. Our AI-driven voice matching can identify the caller within minutes, allowing us to act swiftly and decisively,” said Ban

He claimed that PAIS also enables authorities to intercept crimes before they occur. Recent operations have successfully thwarted targeted killings by tracking digital communications between foreign handlers and local recruits, leading to timely arrests and disruption of planned attacks.

“Earlier, we were often dealing with isolated incidents. The PAIS allows us to see the entire ecosystem: who is funding, who is coordinating, and who is executing. This intelligence-led approach is helping us dismantle entire networks, not just arrest individuals,” he added.

Ban also stressed, “Our Fugitive Tracking Cells are equipped with real-time intelligence from PAIS. This has significantly improved our coordination with international agencies and enhanced our ability to bring back offenders hiding abroad.”

Canada report FINTRAC also flags similar issue

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) in its report published recently warns that copycat actors and smaller criminal elements are leveraging the fearsome reputation of major gangs such as Bishnoi and Bambiha Gangs to maximise the impact of their own extortion demands.

New analysis also indicates that criminal networks are increasingly recruiting vulnerable young Indian nationals on study permits to act as money mules or foot soldiers.