NATGRID asks states to use its database to check criminal activities

New Delhi: The NATGRID, which shares real-time information for intelligence services and investigations with law-enforcement agencies, has asked all state police forces to enhance their engagements with it and proactively use its database for crime control and checking criminal activities.

The NATGRID, which comes under the direct control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), shares with 11 central agencies and all state police forces real-time information from its database on terror activities, organised criminal gangs, financial transactions, immigration, circulation of counterfeit currency and narcotics, besides other inputs.

In a letter to the police chiefs of all states, Piyush Goyal, Chief Executive Officer of the NATGRID, has requested them to enhance the usage in their respective forces to increase the number of active users and encourage them to effectively utilise the NATGRID solution.

The letter specifically emphasised on encouraging the district superintendents of police (SPs) for a wider use of the NATGRID database in their crime-control and law-enforcement initiatives.

“This may please be reviewed in your meetings periodically. NATGRID is continuing to augment more features/functionalities in the solution and conducting regular training/feedback sessions,” Goyal said in the letter.

He said the NATGRID can additionally organise dedicated training sessions for police officers, wherever required.

The letter said with collaborative efforts, many new users have started using the system proactively and there has been a significant increase in the usage of NATGRID solution.

“I would like to highlight and commend the consistent usage of NATGRID solution by Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Assam, which are the top performers for the period Jan-Jun 2025,” Goyal said in the letter.

Besides these states, he also appreciated the efforts made by Tamil Nadu, which enhanced “the number of active users who have fired at least one query in a month” by four times in June, with the resultant significant increase in their usage of the system as well.

Conceptualised after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the NATGRID disseminates information to agencies like the IB, R&AW, CBI, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Enforcement Directorate, besides others.

It has a database of more than 20 categories like railways, banks, airlines, credit-card companies and immigration.

The work on the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) was accelerated after Amit Shah became the Union home minister in 2019, officials said.