A secret police network refers to a covert organization within a government that operates outside normal legal boundaries to monitor, suppress, and silence opposition groups or individuals deemed as threats to the regime in power.
Related terms
Gestapo: The secret police organization under Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany.
KGB: The Soviet Union's main security agency responsible for intelligence gathering, counterintelligence operations, and internal repression.
Stasi: East Germany's Ministry for State Security known for its extensive surveillance network during the Cold War era.