India Brings Back 274 Fugitive Criminals from 36 Countries Since 2019, Says Government

New Delhi : The Government of India on Tuesday said it has successfully brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries since 2019, highlighting what it described as a major strengthening of the country’s extradition and fugitive-tracking framework under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to the government, the enactment of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 marked a significant step in tackling economic offenders by enabling stricter legal action and the confiscation of their assets. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that India has since developed an integrated, intelligence-based, and technology-driven mechanism to trace, pursue, and facilitate the return of fugitives from abroad.

Government Highlights Reforms in Extradition System

The government stated that before 2014, India’s extradition framework had become outdated. At that time, the country had extradition treaties with only 37 countries, and there was no dedicated legislation to deal specifically with fugitive economic offenders or to confiscate their assets.

According to official figures, between 2004 and 2013, India secured the extradition of an average of only four fugitives annually, while 110 extradition requests remained pending.

The government also said that incomplete documentation, delays in processing cases, and legal challenges frequently hampered extradition efforts. It noted that foreign courts often rejected India’s requests because of procedural shortcomings and legal principles such as double jeopardy and dual criminality.

Technology-Driven Coordination

The government further stated that earlier extradition efforts were affected by inadequate coordination among the Ministry of Home Affairs and other agencies. It said the sharing of intelligence, tracking of fugitives, and issuance of Interpol Red Corner Notices were often delayed.

According to the government, the current framework places greater emphasis on inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing, and the use of technology, enabling faster action against fugitives and improving India’s ability to secure their return from overseas.

The government said these measures have strengthened India’s capability to pursue fugitives involved in economic offences and other serious crimes while reinforcing the country’s international cooperation on extradition matters.

Previous governments lacked the political will to bring back fugitives; Modi government has made the extradition of fugitives a ‘national priority’. In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision, the Union Home Minister has emphasized a three-pronged strategy against fugitives: global outreach, strong coordination, and smart diplomacy. Shri 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.

The Modi Government enacted the NIA (Amendment) Act and the UAPA (Amendment) Act in 2019, and from 2020 onwards, the process of bringing fugitive offenders back to India was taken up in a mission mode. As a result, enforcement efforts were no longer confined to proscribed organizations alone. The scope of action was expanded to include individual terrorists, handlers, funding networks, and support systems based abroad, significantly strengthening India’s ability to pursue fugitives and dismantle their networks.

In 2024, the Modi Government implemented three new criminal laws, incorporating special provisions relating to fugitive offenders. For the first time, Sections 355 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) provide for trial in absentia, enabling the entire judicial process—from trial to prosecution—to be completed even in the absence of a fugitive accused.

In 2022, India hosted the 90^th Interpol General Assembly, where Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah underscored the importance of the three pillars of global policing—Communication, Collaboration, and Cooperation. To strengthen coordination, connectivity, and information-sharing between India and global law enforcement agencies, the Union Home Minister launched BHARATPOL in January 2025. BHARATPOL has created a comprehensive information infrastructure by integrating the CBI, State Police Headquarters (through Interpol Liaison Officers – ILOs), and District Police Headquarters onto a single platform. Under this initiative, more than 1,400 units of State and Central agencies have been connected through the portal, ensuring seamless flow of information. As a result, the response time for information-sharing between the CBI and other law enforcement agencies has been significantly reduced. Today, information sought by the CBI is generally shared by other law enforcement agencies within 10 to 20 days, and in some cases, within 3 to 10 days, substantially improving the efficiency of investigations and extradition proceedings. Union Home Minister has held a total of 5 important meetings in this direction.

The Modi Government has enforced the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) with greater rigor. Through stringent enforcement of PMLA, Modi Government attached assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026. To strengthen international efforts to trace and apprehend fugitives, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has established a Special Global Operations Centre. The Centre coordinates in real time with police agencies across the world through Interpol, enabling faster tracking and apprehension of fugitives. To facilitate the swift exchange of information, the CBI has also designated Interpol Contact Officers in every State as well as in all Central investigating agencies, significantly enhancing coordination and international cooperation in fugitive investigations.

The number of Interpol Red Corner Notices issued has increased significantly in recent years. 40 Red Corner Notices were issued in 2022, 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025, and 182 have already been issued in 2026 so far. To strengthen efforts to trace fugitive offenders, Operation Trishul was launched to geo-locate absconding criminals. Under this initiative, with the support of Interpol, the locations of concealed fugitives were established using satellite inputs, surveillance, and digital footprint analysis. Many fugitives had changed their names or identities while residing abroad. However, through use of advanced technology and profile mapping, Indian agencies were able to identify and trace them. Technology has also been leveraged to expedite extradition proceedings, including the use of video conferencing for court hearings, thereby helping to accelerate the legal process. Over the past three years, Red Corner Notices have been issued against 401 fugitive criminals.

274 Fugitives have been Brought Back between 2019 and 2026, as per year-wise details

Under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, extradition requests are now being prepared in a more professional and standardized manner. In addition, written assurances are provided after carefully taking into account the documentary requirements and legal expectations of the requested country. The fugitives brought back to India include individuals wanted in terrorism, gangsters, financial offenders, narcotics accused, and individuals wanted in cases of murder, rape, and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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. In matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, fugitives operating from abroad had been used to sustain terrorism, narco-terrorism, and cross-border support networks.

The success achieved in bringing fugitive offenders back to India is not the result of chance, but of credibility, thorough legal preparation, sustained diplomatic persistence, and continuous follow-up. At the domestic level, this effort has been driven by close coordination among 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 Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI), and State Police forces. This reflects a true “Whole-of-Government” approach, in which Central and State agencies work in close coordination to ensure the return of fugitive offenders and deliver speedy justice to victims.

The constitution of a Standing Focus Group under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in January 2026 marks a significant institutional step in strengthening India’s fugitive management framework. The Group is responsible for prioritising fugitive cases, standardising dossiers, bridging information gaps, ensuring sustained follow-up with foreign partners, and providing national-level support to cases initiated by State agencies. Fugitives operating from abroad are not dormant case files—they represent live operational threats that require sustained, coordinated, and proactive action.