Week-long training equips 151 Telangana police personnel with advanced CSEAM investigation skills

Best practices in search and seizure, advanced Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and forensic tools, and social media tracing techniques, were among the key focus areas of a week-long training programme for 151 investigating officers handling Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) cyber tipline cases.

The training also covered legal provisions under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Information Technology (IT) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and relevant judicial precedents. It was held at the Cyber Academy, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) headquarters, from August 1 to 7.

Demonstrations of tools including Cyniq, C-Trace, Khoj, and Internet Crimes Against Children Child On-line Protection System (ICACCOPS) equipped officers with practical methods to trace and analyse digital evidence, while protocols for device seizure, content preservation, and handling sensitive material were emphasised. Participants were also trained in tracking suspects across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and dating apps. Daily assessments and structured feedback ensured officers strengthened both clarity and technical skills.

The programme was conducted by TGCSB in collaboration with the Indian Child Protection (ICP) unit in New Delhi, amid a growing volume of cyber tipline reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), USA. Telangana Police have registered 510 FIRs based on 561 tiplines, bringing focus on the need for specialised training.

Officers from 26 police units across the state took part in the initiative, which also involved reviewing 204 cyber tipline files for hands-on learning.