Keeping in view the forthcoming elections in Punjab and the increasing seizures of heroin along the International Border (IB), an Inter-State Coordination Meeting (ISCM) involving police officers from neighbouring states and intelligence agencies was held here on Thursday, during which a range of law-and-order issues were discussed.Senior officials, including Pathankot Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pallavi, IG (Border) GS Bhullar, officers of the BSF, the Military Intelligence (MI), the Special Bureau and the district police chiefs of Pathankot, Nurpur, Kathua and Chamba attended the meering.An officer said the deliberations were held on the orders of the Election Commission of India, although the recent increase in cross-border drone activity also figured prominently in the discussions.Sources revealed that such meetings assumed significance as there was an increase in cross-border smuggling networks. “As smuggling syndicates are using domestic distribution routes across northern India, isolated state-level policing is no longer enough to contain the threat from across the border. These meetings allow the Punjab Police to share real-time intelligence with neighbouring states to intercept drug consignments further inland,” said a senior officer.An SP-rank officer said, “Syndicates operating from outside Punjab regularly coordinate drone pick-ups and local distribution from remote areas. Shared databases held police forces to map financial trails and freeze illicit assets across multiple jurisdictions.”