New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) India has successfully brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026 as part of an intensified drive to ensure that offenders evading Indian law while staying abroad are brought to justice, the Central government said on Tuesday.
The Centre said the achievement was made possible through stronger legal provisions, enhanced international cooperation, coordinated action among multiple agencies and technology-driven investigations carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, “Previous governments lacked the political will to bring back fugitives; the Modi government has made the extradition of fugitives a ‘national priority’… Amit Shah has described the issue of fugitive offenders as one that is intrinsically linked to the country’s sovereignty, economic stability, law and order, and national security.”
According to the Ministry, the government’s approach towards tackling fugitive offenders has been built around three major pillars — global outreach, stronger coordination and smart diplomacy.
The MHA said the legal framework for pursuing absconding offenders has been significantly strengthened through the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, amendments made to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019, along with provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which permit trials in absentia under Sections 355 and 356.
To strengthen international cooperation, the government launched BHARATPOL in January 2025, creating an integrated platform connecting more than 1,400 state and central law enforcement agencies with INTERPOL.
According to the Ministry, the platform has considerably reduced the time taken for information exchange, with responses in certain cases now being received within three to ten days.
The government also highlighted a substantial increase in the issuance of INTERPOL Red Corner Notices over the past few years.
While only 40 notices were issued in 2022, the figure rose to 100 in 2023, increased to 107 in 2024, reached 112 in 2025, and has already climbed to 182 in 2026 so far.
Overall, Red Corner Notices have been issued against 401 fugitive criminals during the past three years.
The Ministry further said that advanced technological tools have become a crucial part of tracing absconders through ‘Operation Trishul’, which uses satellite inputs, surveillance systems, digital footprints and profile mapping to identify fugitives who changed their identities while hiding overseas.
It added that video conferencing has also been utilised to accelerate extradition proceedings.
On the financial enforcement front, the government said properties and assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) between 2019 and 2026.
During the same period, restitution amounting to Rs 762 crore was carried out, including recoveries linked to economic offenders who had fled the country.
The government said those brought back to India include fugitives wanted in cases involving terrorism, organised crime, financial fraud, narcotics trafficking, murder, rape and offences registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Highlighting the wider scope of the campaign, the Ministry said, “The campaign to bring fugitives back to India extends across cases involving terrorism, pro-Khalistan extremism, the gangster-terror nexus, narcotics trafficking, cyber fraud, and fake currency. The extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana from the United States stands as a significant example of India’s resolve and its sustained legal and diplomatic efforts in pursuing complex terror cases.”
The Ministry further stated that, in matters relating to Jammu and Kashmir, fugitives operating from foreign soil have often been used to sustain terrorism, narco-terrorism and cross-border support networks.
According to the MHA, the success of the extradition campaign has been driven by close coordination among several agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), as well as various state police forces.
The Ministry also noted that a Standing Focus Group under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) was established in January 2026 to further strengthen India’s fugitive management framework and improve coordination among agencies involved in tracking and extraditing offenders.
–IANS
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