Armed with facial recognition software and trained in analysing crowd behaviour during the annual Rath Yatra this year, a specialised team formed by the Puri Police arrested over 90 snatchers during the festivities in this pilgrim town, a senior officer said .

The law enforcers also returned 60 stolen mobile phones to the owners, the police officer said. In recent years, facial recognition and artificial intelligence are becoming key law enforcement tools for monitoring large gatherings by the police.

"Four facial recognition cameras were installed at strategic locations on pilot basis for the first time in the state, and we had sent data of 300 anti-social elements to SCRB (State Crime records Bureau) for uploading," Puri Superintendent of Police, Kanwar Vishal Singh, said.

Taking advantage of the congregation of devotees during the festival, pickpockets, chain and mobile snatchers are on the prowl for targeting pilgrims when they are busy trying to catch a glimpse of the sibling deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra or pulling their chariots as the deities embark on their nine-day sojourn to Gundicha Temple from the Jagannath Temple. Singh told PTI an 11-member TACT (temple action chain snatching prevention team) was formed, with each group, having 4- 6 APR (Armed Police Reserve) personnel, fanning out to vulnerable areas during the festival.

"The teams were trained in advance to observe and analyse the behavioural aspects of people during crowd movement.

"The TACT members were deployed in plain clothes at all vulnerable spots. Our primary concern was the safety and security of pilgrims. The elderly and women are most vulnerable and are soft targets for the snatchers," the SP said.

Ninety-two snatchers, including 41 from Odisha and 23 from West Bengal, were arrested till June 30, he said.

The rest hailed from Andhra Pradesh (9), Bihar (8), Uttar Pradesh ( 5), Chhattisgarh (4), Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh (1 each) “It was in April this year when five snatching cases were reported at Singhadwar police station on a single day. We had a tip-off that interstate gangs had arrived in Puri in the garb of devotees and were stealing mobile phones from people ,” the SP said.

Ahead of Rath Yatra, the TACT was initially posted inside the temple premises after incidents of chain snatching inside the 12th-century shrine were on the rise, the police officer said.

"We have been receiving multiple complaints of chain snatching from the devotees during the rush hour on Saturdays, Sundays and ekadashi," the SP said.

As many as 17 CCTVs were installed inside the temple and in case any snatching incident was reported, the footage was analysed in detail, he said.

"Police personnel identified 4-5 potential suspects after examining the footage and the next time, the same person reached the temple he was apprehended," the SP said.

After interrogation, he confessed to the crime and revealed that a group of 12 members from Bihar had reached the pilgrim town. They had a specific task of snatching valuables from devotees during the annual festival and "we were successful in arresting all of them", he said.

After the success of the TACT in thwarting the efforts of these people inside the temple, the anti-snatching unit was deployed at Bada Danda or Grand Road here for the first time during Rath Yatra this year, the SP said.

While reviewing crime data, it was found that maximum incidents of snatching happen around Marchikut Chak, Market Chak, Medical Square and Badasankha areas as easy escape routes are available, which make it easy for the culprits to take the exit route, Singh added.

Damayanti Haldar (57), a resident of Liluah in West Bengal was all praise for Puri Police after getting back her stolen phone.

Talking to PTI, she said, "I was heartbroken after I lost my phone. It was the only way to connect with my family members during Rath Yatra." The police will also courier the stolen items, including mobile phones, to the pilgrims from other states and abroad in a few days, the SP said.

As many as 117 phones were seized. Thousands of devotees had congregated at the seaside town for the Rath Yatra on June 20. The return car festival was celebrated on June 28 with devotees pulling the chariots of the deities back to the Jagannath Temple from another shrine, three km away.

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