NEW DELHI, Aug. 4 -- The Centre on Tuesday said that it has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026 as part of an aggressive mission-mode campaign of tracking down economic offenders, which has made extradition a national security imperative under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The government stated that the campaign has been able to secure national security, economic interests, law and order, and sovereignty by building a global network of intelligence and technology driven operations based on global outreach, multi-agency coordination and diplomacy.
It said that fugitive criminals in recent years are increasingly threatening India's strategic interests, economic security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and noted that key laws such as the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 and NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019 and UAPA (Amendment) Act, 2019 have enhanced India's legal and operational capabilities to handle such cases.
The government said that new procedural provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2024 have empowered the courts to try in-absentia under Sections 355 and 356.
Further, the campaign has been able to facilitate faster adjudication and execution of judgment by establishing 'BHARATPOL' digital platform in January 2025 for real-time sharing of information with more than 1,400 state and central agencies and Interpol.
"The time taken to share information with global partners through this portal has come down significantly - from several months to just three to ten days," the government said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.