In an effort to curb cyber crimes, the forensic directorate has organised a training programme for senior police officers. Information technology experts will conduct some of the sessions.

The workshop, titled ?Search and Seizure of Digital Evidence?, will teach police officers how to track down those who commit crimes by taking advantage of the Internet and other modern technologies.

The two-day programme will be held at the laboratory of Government Examiner of Questioned Documents, a specialised wing of the forensic directorate, in Gorachand Lane, from Tuesday, said V.G.S. Bhatnagar, director of the facility. Joint director of Central Bureau of Investigation B.B. Sharma will inaugurate the programme.

The decision to hold the workshop was taken after a spurt in cyber crimes in Calcutta. ?The training session is a part of the preventive measures. A section of technologically adept youths is committing crimes but police are forced to remain silent spectators,? stated a senior officer of Calcutta Police.

?At the moment, we do not know how to catch cyber criminals. The programme will teach us how to probe such cases,? he added.

Apart from police, bank officials will also attend the training as more and more people are opting to bank through the Internet. ?We will make the bankers aware of the loopholes. Officers of the law enforcing agencies will be taught how to prevent financial crimes committed using the Internet,? explained another senior police officer.

Currently most law enforcing agencies are forced to seek assistance from experts in the private sector to probe cyber crimes. ?This delays the investigation, often allowing the culprits to escape,? according to a police officer.

Among the Calcutta Police top brass, deputy commissioner of detective department Gyanwant Singh and deputy inspector general (operations) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will attend the course.

Cyber crime experts have been roped in to deliver lectures on the latest developments on the Internet at the programme.