India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affiars said on Tuesday, highlighting an intensified effort to ensure that offenders who flee abroad do not escape Indian law.
The central government attributed the progress to stronger legal provisions, improved international cooperation, better coordination between agencies and the growing use of technology in investigations under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said previous governments lacked the political will to bring fugitives back, while the Modi government had made their extradition a “national priority”. Amit Shah, it said, has described the issue of fugitive offenders as being closely linked to India’s sovereignty, economic stability, law and order and national security.
According to the MHA, the government’s strategy to deal with fugitive offenders rests on three key pillars: global outreach, stronger coordination and smart diplomacy.
The legal framework for pursuing absconding offenders has also been strengthened. This includes the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, amendments to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019, as well as provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that allow trials in absentia under Sections 355 and 356.
International cooperation received a further boost with the launch of BHARATPOL in January 2025. The platform connects more than 1,400 state and central law enforcement agencies with INTERPOL, helping speed up the exchange of information. In some cases, responses are now received within three to 10 days, the Ministry said.
The government also pointed to a sharp rise in the number of INTERPOL Red Corner Notices issued in recent years. The number increased from 40 in 2022 to 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024 and 112 in 2025. In 2026, the figure has already reached 182. Overall, Red Corner Notices have been issued against 401 fugitive criminals over the past three years.
Technology has also become an important part of efforts to trace fugitives. Under ‘Operation Trishul’, agencies use satellite inputs, surveillance systems, digital footprints and profile mapping to track offenders who may have changed their identities while hiding abroad.
Video conferencing has also been used to speed up extradition proceedings, the MHA said.
On the financial enforcement front, properties and assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) between 2019 and 2026. During the same period, restitution amounting to Rs 762 crore was carried out, including recoveries related to economic offenders who had fled the country.
The fugitives brought back to India include those wanted in cases involving terrorism, organised crime, financial fraud, narcotics trafficking, murder, rape and offences registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The MHA said the campaign covers a wide range of cases, including 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 cited by the Ministry as a significant example of India’s efforts to pursue complex terror cases through sustained legal and diplomatic channels.
The Ministry also said fugitives operating from foreign countries have, in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, often been used to sustain terrorism, narco-terrorism and cross-border support networks.
The campaign has involved close coordination among several agencies, including 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 various state police forces.
To further strengthen the system for tracking and extraditing fugitives, a Standing Focus Group under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) was established in January 2026. The group is aimed at improving coordination between agencies and strengthening India’s overall fugitive management framework.
