Kerala Police’s new AI-enabled face recognition system identifies suspect in theft case, dead body

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police has integrated an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Face Recognition System (FRS) into its ‘iCops’ mobile application. This system aims to identify criminals through advanced facial recognition technology.

The FRS in iCops enables the police to compare the images of suspected or apprehended individuals with a vast database of 1.5 lakh pictures of “criminals” stored in the database. With the help of the AI-powered image search system, a simple photograph taken with a mobile phone can be instantly matched with the images in the gallery, facilitating the rapid identification of criminals attempting to evade capture through disguise, claimed the police in a Facebook post.

The software was developed by technical expert police officers of the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) division.

During an attempted theft at St. Anthony's Church in Mulloorkara, Thrissur, police arrested a suspect who initially provided false information about his identity. Upon using the FRS, the police discovered that the suspect, identified as Kader Basha, also known as Shanawas, had several pending cases against him, including thefts reported in police stations across Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Palakkad districts. Multiple arrest warrants were issued against him by various courts, police said.

Apart from aiding in criminal identification, the FRS has also proved instrumental in other crucial areas of investigation. The system facilitated the identification of an unidentified deceased individual within Wadakkanchery station limits. The FRS can also search information and photos of missing persons, according to the police.