Kolkata Police has formally joined the national Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Centre) network, a move aimed at tightening its pursuit of criminals who flee across state lines, a senior officer confirmed on Monday, 21 July. Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, has issued directives to officers across the force to actively use the platform.

What Cri-MAC Is

Cri-MAC is a secure, web-based digital platform launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020 to enable real-time sharing of crime and criminal data across law enforcement agencies. It is managed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and operates around the clock, functioning as a central intelligence hub for police forces and agencies nationwide.

How Kolkata Police Will Use the Platform

On behalf of Lalbazar, Deputy Commissioners and police station officers have been instructed to log in using their ICJS (Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System) credentials. Officers are required to access the portal at least once a day — more frequently if an active investigation demands it. The platform allows officers to send messages to multiple recipients simultaneously and retrieve case-relevant data through a built-in search function.

Notably, every police station officer in Kolkata has been brought under this mandate, enabling the force to contact counterparts at any police station across India when needed.

Why This Matters

A persistent communication gap between state police forces and central agencies has long hampered interstate criminal investigations. Cri-MAC is designed to bridge that gap by enabling instant information exchange. Through the network, Kolkata Police can receive real-time alerts if evidence linked to a suspect surfaces in another state, and can issue or access national-level alerts for major cases.

This comes amid growing concerns over interstate criminal mobility, where offenders exploit jurisdictional boundaries to evade arrest. The integration will specifically aid the identification and apprehension of criminals hiding either within Kolkata or outside West Bengal.

Wider Impact on Law Enforcement

The Cri-MAC network, now active in police forces across India, represents a structural shift in how state and central agencies share intelligence. For Kolkata Police, joining the network means faster coordination on high-stakes investigations — from organised crime to fugitive tracking — without the delays that traditionally accompany inter-agency requests. As more state forces integrate into the platform, the national criminal intelligence grid becomes progressively harder to evade.