Chandigarh: A machine to recover deleted SMSes and another to scan through any suspected hard disk, these are among the latest gadgets acquired by the Chandigarh police to tackle cyber crime.

The crime branch and cyber crime cell of the Chandigarh police are now using advanced technology of Cell Dek and portable forensic lab (PFL) machine to combat rising crime, police officials said here.

"The Cell Dek machine can retrieve the call details of dialled numbers, received and missed calls from a mobile. Even the sent and received messages can be retrieved in three to six minutes depending on the data," Deputy Superintendent of Police K.I.P. Singh said.

He said even if an accused deletes the records from the mobile memory, Cell Dek can easily recover all the details. The police have a new gadget called Faraday Bag. If a mobile is put in the bag, then the number becomes unreachable for all networks, the official added.

The police also have a PFL machine that can retrieve the data from any suspected drives and hard disks.

"Reports of these machines are authenticated in the courts all over the world and no one can challenge their results," a senior crime branch official said.

"These machines are of great help and will certainly streamline our working. Now we are well equipped to face the challenges of burgeoning cyber crime in the vicinity. Earlier we were dependent on other agencies and laboratories but now we are self-sufficient," S.S. Srivastava, senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Chandigarh, told IANS.

Both PFL and Cell Dek machines come in handy bags and are easy to carry. These machines have been imported from the US by a Delhi-based distributor in May this year.