Panaji: Goa police’s anti-terrorist squad (ATS) is set to get its first two bulletproof armoured vehicles to act as first responders to any terrorist attack, as the state remains on high alert due to its status as an international tourist destination.Govt approved the procurement of the vehicles worth Rs 1.3 crore. “The vehicles, both from Mahindra Defence System, cost Rs 67.2 lakh each,” a senior govt official said.The operational wings are part of the ATS, and commandos are deployed from these operational wings on quick reaction teams (QRT) vehicles placed at strategic locations across the state. “The QRTs perform the duty of a first responder concerning any infiltration by terrorist elements, attacks, etc. The duties performed by the ATS commandos involve threats to their own lives depending on the situations at hand,” the official said.“To ensure safety and save the lives of police personnel/commandos, bulletproof armoured vehicles are to be provided for deployment during action,” the official said.State govt formed a QRT in 2009 and, in 2014, constituted the ATS to investigate terror-related cases, with a sanctioned strength of 110 personnel. Cases probed by the ATS include terrorist activities, offences against the state, activities of gangsters, smugglers, gun runners, mafia, counterfeiters, narcotics smugglers, and offences prejudicial to national security.The official said that frequent terror alerts make it necessary for the ATS to have armoured vehicles for first response. A senior police officer said that as Goa is a tourist state, verification is often lax while renting rooms or offering guesthouse accommodation, which may be why fugitives or wanted persons do not find it difficult to hide in Goa.The state’s first major brush with terror was in Oct 2009, when a bomb exploded in Margao on the eve of Diwali near Grace Church, a few metres from where a Narkasur effigy competition was being held.Counter-terror exercises between the ATS and National Security Guard (NSG) are held as required. A joint exercise has also been held with Force One of the Maharashtra police. The NSG and Goa police conducted a multi-day, multi-target exercise in the state to test the capability and preparedness to tackle security threats.
