HYDERABAD, October 23 (Aalimi Nation) – Police chiefs from the southern states and Union Territories are meeting in Hyderabad on Friday to work out a joint strategy against cross-border crime, with cybercrime, drug trafficking and terrorism at the top of the agenda. The Southern Regional Police Coordination Committee meeting is being hosted by Telangana Police at the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre.
Southern states police coordination meeting
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is the chief guest. Directors General and Inspectors General of Police from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala are taking part, along with representatives of the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.
Officials from central agencies are also attending. They include the Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force.
Agenda: terrorism, cybercrime and narcotics
Telangana Director General of Police C.V. Anand said the meeting aims "to strengthen intelligence sharing, improve coordination among law enforcement agencies" and prepare a joint response to emerging security threats. He had earlier reviewed arrangements for the event with senior officers.
The agenda covers a wide range of subjects. Delegates are due to discuss counter-terrorism, the security situation after the decline of Maoist activity, drug trafficking, inter-state cybercrime, organised crime, economic offences, youth protests and human trafficking. They will also look at the movement of criminal gangs across state borders and ways to share intelligence and coordinate investigations more quickly.
Other items expected to come up include the implementation of the new criminal laws, coastal security, road accident prevention and the use of artificial intelligence in policing. Officials said the conference is meant to build stronger operational cooperation through timely exchange of intelligence, joint operations and the sharing of best practices.
Why regional coordination matters
Regional police coordination committees bring together the forces of neighbouring states so that investigations that cross administrative boundaries do not stall. Cyber fraud networks, narcotics supply chains and organised gangs often operate across several states at once, and a lead found in one jurisdiction can depend on quick action in another. Southern states also share a long coastline, which adds maritime and coastal security to the list of common concerns.
The reference to the post-Maoist security situation reflects a change in the internal security picture in parts of the region. The inclusion of youth protests on the agenda indicates that police leadership wants to discuss how such gatherings are managed alongside the more traditional categories of crime. The agenda as published does not say which specific incidents or protests will be discussed.
