OCTOPUS–AP gets 2nd place at national joint counter-IED exercise

Mangalagiri: The Andhra Pradesh OCTOPUS team brought pride to the State Police Department by securing the second place in the prestigious 9th National Joint Counter-IED Exercise ‘Visfot Kavach-IX’, held nationwide.

The national-level competition was conducted at the National Security Guard (NSG) training centre, Manesar, Haryana, from November 10 to 14 with 23 teams participating from various State Police units and Central Armed Police Forces across the country.

Competing in a highly demanding environment, the OCTOPUS–AP team demonstrated exceptional training standards, operational capabilities, and coordinated execution, earning accolades for their outstanding performance. The team was led by Inspector V. Kumar and Inspector T. Gopichand, whose leadership and strategic guidance played a crucial role in securing the national second position.

This achievement once again highlights the technical expertise, operational readiness, discipline, and professional excellence of the OCTOPUS force.

The primary objective of the Counter-IED exercise was to strengthen the nation’s ability to tackle IED-related threats. The competition evaluated teams on bomb detection, identification, and neutralization skills, while also providing a platform to exchange best practices.

DGP Harishkumar Gupta along with OCTOPUS IGP (Operations) Ch Srikanth and DIG S. Senthil Kumar and other senior officials congratulated the team members. They encouraged the personnel to continue showcasing excellence in future national-level competitions.