Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed authorities to intensify efforts to extradite fugitives involved in terrorism and smuggling activities. This directive was given during the inauguration of a two-day National Security Strategies conference. Shah emphasized the importance of enhanced coordination between central and state law enforcement agencies and a recalibrated approach to dismantle domestic terror-criminal networks.
The Home Minister's focus extends to disrupting terror financing mechanisms. He instructed agencies to analyze financial irregularities to uncover terror modules.
India has been actively pursuing the extradition of fugitives. The CBI has facilitated the return of 134 fugitives from abroad in the last five years, nearly double the number from the previous decade. In contrast, only 74 fugitives were brought back between 2010 and 2019. This increase is attributed to enhanced diplomatic engagements, VVIP visits, stronger bilateral ties, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol.
The extradition process involves three stages: issuing a Red Notice by Interpol, locating the fugitive, and extradition after legal and diplomatic actions. These processes can be time-consuming. As of December 2024, 65 Indian extradition requests were under consideration by the U.S. The Gulf region, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has become a key partner in repatriation efforts due to high-level diplomatic engagements.
However, some jurisdictions pose challenges due to domestic legal constraints. Despite these challenges, persistent diplomatic outreach has led to the apprehension of several high-priority fugitives. India has extradition treaties with 48 countries and extradition arrangements with 12 others. Events like the 2022 Interpol General Assembly in India and the G20 Summit have boosted progress.
Recent examples include the arrest of Nehal Modi in the U.S., with extradition proceedings underway. Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi remain in custody in London and Antwerp, respectively, with ongoing efforts to extradite them. Recently, the CBI successfully extradited an economic offender from the U.S. who had fled in 1999.
The Indian government launched the Bharatpol portal to streamline extradition and deportation processes. This portal connects Indian law enforcement with Interpol's databases for faster and more efficient capture of criminals. It supports seamless interagency communication for comprehensive crime control and international cooperation. Bharatpol, along with India's new criminal laws, will assist in deporting criminals. Courts can now prosecute fugitives in absentia, and once convicted, the portal will facilitate information exchange and coordination.
According to Amit Shah, modern technology and techniques are essential to bring fugitives to justice. Bharatpol provides access to 19 types of Interpol databases, enabling officers to analyze data, develop crime prevention strategies, and apprehend criminals more effectively. The portal enables every agency and police force in the country to seamlessly connect with Interpol, expedite probes, and bring fugitives to justice.
Bharatpol has five key modules: connect, Interpol notices, references, broadcast, and resources. These modules offer a technological platform to support all law enforcement agencies, ensuring quick, secure, and structured transmission of requests for Interpol notices. The portal's real-time interface enhances communication among agencies to improve crime control measures.
In the past year, 33 fugitives were extradited under CBI's 'Trishul' operation, which geolocates criminals who have fled the country. The operation gained momentum after an Interpol conference where PM Modi and Amit Shah emphasized global cooperation in tracing fugitives.
