274 Fugitives Brought Back in Seven Years as India Strengthens Extradition Drive: Govt

New Delhi: The Government on Tuesday said India has repatriated 274 fugitives from 36 countries over the last seven years, averaging around 40 extraditions annually, nearly ten times higher than the average of four fugitives brought back each year between 2004 and 2013. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitives have also been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the period. According to the Ministry, the Modi Government has made the extradition of fugitives a national priority by adopting an integrated, intelligence-driven and technology-enabled strategy involving multiple agencies. Of the fugitives repatriated between 2019 and July 2026, nine were wanted in financial crimes, 17 in terror-related cases, 42 in organised crime, 62 in murder, robbery and other violent offences, 53 in sexual offences, including crimes against children, 16 in drug trafficking, 12 in smuggling and fake currency cases, 18 in human trafficking and 45 in other criminal cases. The government also highlighted a sharp rise in the issuance of Interpol Red Corner Notices, with 40 issued in 2022, 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025 and 182 already issued in 2026. Over the past three years, 401 Red Notices have been issued against fugitive criminals. A Red Notice is an international request to law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or other legal action. The MHA said extradition requests are now prepared in a more professional and standardised manner, with written assurances being provided after considering the legal requirements of the requested country, thereby improving India's success rate. The Ministry said India has developed an integrated framework against fugitives through 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 GST Intelligence (DGGI) and State Police forces. To strengthen coordination, a Standing Focus Group was constituted under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) of the Intelligence Bureau in January 2026. The group prioritises fugitive cases, standardises dossiers, bridges information gaps and coordinates follow-up with foreign authorities. The Ministry said several legal and institutional reforms have strengthened India's extradition framework. These include the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, amendments to the NIA Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019, and provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2024, which allow trial in absentia for fugitive offenders. India's efforts also received a boost after hosting the 90th Interpol General Assembly in 2022. In January 2025, the CBI launched BHARATPOL, connecting over 1,400 agencies, including State Police Headquarters and central investigating agencies, through a unified platform to improve international coordination. The government said the CBI has established a Special Global Operations Centre for real-time coordination with police agencies worldwide through Interpol. It has also appointed Interpol Contact Officers in every State and central investigating agency to speed up information exchange and extradition proceedings. The Ministry said India has also intensified its efforts through Operation Trishul, under which fugitives are traced using satellite inputs, surveillance, digital footprint analysis and profile mapping. Advanced technology, including video conferencing for court proceedings, has also helped expedite extradition cases. The government maintained that these coordinated legal, diplomatic and technological measures have significantly strengthened India's ability to trace, locate and bring back fugitives from abroad.