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

PTI, August 5, 2026, New Delhi: India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries since 2019, according to a PIB release issued on Wednesday.

To strengthen action against fugitives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enacted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018. Under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, India has developed an integrated, intelligence-based and technology-driven model against fugitives, paving the way for stricter measures against them and facilitating their return to India.

Before 2014, the country's extradition framework had become outdated, and India had extradition treaties with only 37 countries. There was also no dedicated law to deal with economic fugitives or to confiscate their assets.

Between 2004 and 2013, India secured the extradition of only four fugitives per year on average, while 110 extradition requests remained pending.

Besides, incomplete documentation and slow processing made the extradition process highly cumbersome, often leading foreign courts to deny extradition requests.

India's extradition efforts also faced legal and judicial hurdles, resulting in the rejection of extradition requests. The absence of effective coordination and a unified strategy among the Ministry of Home Affairs and other departments hindered progress.

The sharing of information on fugitives, location tracking and the issuance of Red Corner Notices also moved at a slow pace.

The Modi government had made the extradition of fugitives a "national priority", the release said.

The Union Home Minister has emphasised a three-pronged strategy against fugitives: global outreach, strong coordination and smart diplomacy.

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 organisations 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.

The number of Interpol Red Corner Notices issued has increased significantly in recent years. Forty 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 the 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.

Extradition requests are now being prepared in a more professional and standardised manner. Written assurances are provided after carefully scrutinising the documentary requirements and legal expectations of the requested country.

The fugitives brought back to India include individuals wanted in terrorism, gangster-related cases, financial offences, narcotics cases, and individuals wanted in cases of murder, rape and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences 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 was an example of India's resolve and its sustained legal and diplomatic efforts in pursuing complex terror cases, according to the release.

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