Police chiefs of 5 southern States, 3 UTs meet in Hyderabad on Oct 23 to tackle inter-State crime

Police chiefs from five southern States and three Union Territories will meet in Hyderabad on October 23 for a regional coordination meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation against terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime and organised criminal networks that operate across State borders.

The Southern States' Police Coordination Committee meeting, hosted by the Telangana Police, will be held at the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre (TGICCC). Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will attend as the chief guest.

Director General of Police C. V. Anand said the meeting will bring together the Directors General of Police (DGPs) and Inspectors General of Police (IGs) of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, along with representatives of the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.

Senior officials from Central agencies are also expected to take part, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The discussions will centre on joint strategies against crimes that extend beyond a single State's jurisdiction — in particular the movement of inter-State criminal gangs, drug trafficking networks, cyber fraud syndicates and organised crime groups.

Officials will review how intelligence on suspects moving across State lines is shared, the practical difficulties faced in investigations that span multiple jurisdictions, and ways to improve day-to-day coordination between police departments.

Emerging security concerns on the agenda include terrorism, the situation following the decline of Left-wing extremism, financial crimes, human trafficking and youth unrest.

A significant item is the implementation of the three new criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — which replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act from July 1, 2024. Participating States are expected to exchange their experiences and note best practices in policing and criminal investigation under the new framework.

Coastal security, the prevention of road accidents and the use of Artificial Intelligence in policing will also feature in the discussions, the DGP said.

According to the DGP, the objective is to strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms, improve operational coordination and draw up a joint action plan so that inter-State crime can be addressed more effectively.

Each participating police department will present practices that have worked in its own jurisdiction, with an emphasis on building a coordinated response to criminal activity that crosses State boundaries.

Such regional meetings matter because a criminal case often begins in one State and leads into another, where different police procedures and record-keeping systems apply. Coordination platforms allow forces to align their approach on evidence-sharing, verifying addresses and tracking suspects, rather than treating each case as an isolated local matter.

The meeting is expected to conclude with an agreed framework for follow-up contact between the participating forces, though officials did not specify what formal arrangements would be announced.