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India assists France in hosting incident-free Olympics
There are 10 specially trained Indian Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and special commando force dogs in France.
Indian officers and canines in Paris to provide security during the games. / X/@FranceinIndia
India's explicit policy of combating global terrorism collectively is supported by the deployment of a contingent of its specially-trained personnel and canine units in Paris, the host city of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
France, the host country, and a number of friendly nations' security and police agencies work in close coordination with the canines and officers trained in counter-terrorism and anti-sabotage operations. Paris has virtually turned into a police cantonment, with members of the National Police and Grenadier being deployed at all vulnerable points, including the venues of competitions, public places like Metro and bus stations, malls and busy tourist spots.
From India, there are 10 specially-trained Indian Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and special commando force dogs in France to provide a counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage security cover to various venues of the Paris Olympics that opened last week. The ten Indian K9 (canine) teams have been performing sniffing and patrolling duties at various venues that are hosting the games. The Indian police squads attended a special 10-week training for this first-ever kind of collaboration of canine squads between the Indian and French government, media reports said.
The French government was apprehensive about the potential for foreign interference or a terrorist attack to disrupt the games due to the ongoing armed conflicts in various regions of the world. Media covering the 2024 Olympic Games has been quoting various agencies, including radio, TV and web channels, while reporting the nearly “full proof” arrangements made for the safety of the participants, including players and members of the visiting Olympic family. The reports further said that beyond terrorist groups, some state actors are hoping to take advantage of the divisions caused by the war in Gaza to create public disorder.
The security agencies also do not exclude the possibility of an increase in the number of attempts by pro-Russian groups to disrupt the smooth operation of the games. The only nations that were denied the invitation to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are Russia and Belarus. Another media report in Le Monde, one of the main newspapers in France, said that Kirill Gryaznov, an agent for Russia’s intelligence service (FSB) with no diplomatic cover, was arrested in Paris and charged with “intelligence with a foreign power to incite hostilities in France.”.
Despite the widespread deployment of police contingents, there has been minimal or no response to incidents of pickpocketing. Paris is infamous for its prevalence of pickpocketing. Visitors to the city are deprived of their possessions. An Indian journalist who was covering the Games lost a valuable cardigan from his back pack, while his wallet and passport evaded the suspect's cunning hands.
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