Octopus to take part in commando operations in Indian States, 10 SWAT teams

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Anti terror units Octopus and Counter Intelligence of State police are reorganised on Wednesday as the government accepted and issued orders on much awaited proposals. Organisation for Counter Terrorists Operations(OCTOPUS) will now be a specialised commando unit with operational wing having 10
SWAT(Special Weapons and Tactics Teams).
Four of these teams will be stated in Hyderabad and remaining two each in three other major cities in the State in Vishakapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada.
Each SWAT team with special uniform and weapons will have assault commandos, bomb disposal squad lead by Deputy Superintendent of police with a total strength of 53.
In significant move Government has decided to deploy Octopus SWAT commandos in neighbouring States too on special request to fight terrorists.
It was also decided to go for new recruits every year with 20 per cent replacement to make OCTOPUS look young and strong where they are trained Ex-National Security Guard, para commandos. Commandos
will serve only for five years in the unit and a training reserve will also be maintained. Octopus will have Snipers, Hit commandos, armourers, breechers as part of SWAT.
Octopus will have a linguist who can translate the Arabic and Urdu material as well as negotiate during hostage crisis. Doctors and paramedics to help the commandos kept fit and treat them not only during the operations but also during regular training. Octopus will be headed by Additional DG or IG rank official with three more IPS officials manning operation, training and administration wings.
The Counter Intelligence Cell will have an investigation wing which will also take up Mafia cases along with terror incidents. An additional SP will lead the Investigation wing. All the terror cases now with
Octopus including Indian Mujahideen Twin blasts case, Tehreek Galba E Islam terror suspect Viqaruddin case will be transferred to CI cell police station.
CI cell technical wing will also have web hackers whose prime duty is to crack into the enemy communication and networks.
CI cell will get 577 executive strength drawn from Octopus in addition to 326 existing officers. Planting mules, bugging and recording will be taken up by CI cell.
Counter Intelligence will have field intelligence, technical intelligence including forensic and cyber forensic division, surveillance, Research and Analysis wing including data centre, investigation and prosecution
cell, Administration and logistics cell. Field intelligence units will be located in all four police commissionarates, district and range headquarters. CI cell will be headed by an IG under whom command
and control centre operates as well as DIG or SP rank officials for intelligence and analysis wing and SP or Additional SP for administration wing.
The proposal was pending from 2007 and materialised on Wednesday where the redundancy of work is avoided between Octopus and CI cell.
Octopus will deal with the terror threats that arise of using of Improvised Explosive Devices in public place, hostage situation and firing on the public with focus on urban centres. Octopus will have operations, training and administration wings. Both Octopus and CI cell officer shall be paid additionally 50 per cent more.