New Delhi: India has repatriated 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2021 and 2026 as part of its intensified efforts to combat transnational crime, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the government has adopted an integrated, intelligence-led and technology-driven approach to track and bring back fugitives. It also highlighted the enactment of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, which provides legal provisions to act against economic offenders and confiscate their assets.
According to the MHA, before 2014, India had extradition treaties with only 37 countries and lacked a dedicated law to deal with fugitive economic offenders.
The ministry said that between 2004 and 2013, India secured the extradition of only four fugitives annually on average, while 110 extradition requests remained pending. It claimed that previous governments lacked the political will to pursue fugitives, whereas the current government has made their extradition a national priority.
Describing the government's three key pillars in tackling fugitive offenders, Home Minister Amit Shah said the strategy is centred on global outreach, strong coordination and smart diplomacy. He said fugitive offenders pose a threat to India's sovereignty, economic stability, law and order, and national security.
The MHA also said the number of INTERPOL Red Corner Notices issued against fugitive criminals has increased significantly over the past three years, with notices now issued against 401 wanted individuals.
The ministry further highlighted the launch of BHARATPOL, a platform linking over 1,400 Indian agencies with INTERPOL, which has reduced the time taken for international information sharing to between three and ten days.
It added that under Operation Trishul, the government has used satellite technology and digital footprints to trace fugitive criminals who allegedly changed their names and identities while hiding abroad.