Rajkot: Gujarat director general of police (DGP) K L N Rao on Sunday chaired a regional conference in Rajkot to review rising drug seizures along the Saurashtra coast and the growing menace of cyberfraud.Addressing senior officers, including range IGs, the Rajkot police commissioner, district SPs, ASPs and DCPs, the DGP expressed concern over the steady flow of narcotics being intercepted along the Saurashtra coastline. He directed officials to intensify coastal surveillance, strengthen intelligence networks and step up coordinated action to dismantle drug syndicates operating through maritime routes, noting that repeated seizures point to organised trafficking.Cybercrime was the second key focus of the review. Rao said nearly Rs 50 crore has been refunded to cyberfraud victims across the state so far, but delays in reporting continue to hamper recovery. Emphasising the importance of the “golden hours” after a fraud, he urged citizens to immediately dial the 1930 cybercrime helpline to block suspicious transactions and freeze bank accounts. He pointed out that many victims of loan and investment scams approach police months after the offence, reducing chances of recovery.Rao also referred to threats issued to govt offices, courts and schools using fake IDs and foreign-based VPNs, adding that specialised teams are probing cases with overseas digital trails.On policing performance, the DGP said response time in Rajkot city has reduced from 12–14 minutes to about seven minutes, while other districts have recorded nearly a 50% reduction.The conference underscored the police’s twin challenge of curbing coastal drug trafficking and tackling fast-evolving cybercrime.
