Satellite inputs, digital trails helped India bring back 274 fugitives

The government on Tuesday said it used satellite inputs, digital footprint analysis and international coordination to track absconding criminals abroad, as it announced that 274 fugitives had been brought back to India from 36 countries over the last seven years.The point of the announcement was seemingly as much about the figure as it was about politics. In a strongly-worded statement released on Tuesday (August 4), the Centre argued that previous governments lacked the "political will" to pursue fugitives abroad, contrasting its record with the Congress party-led UPA era, when it claimed India secured only about four extraditions a year on average.Projecting the return of fugitives as a hallmark of governance, the home ministry said the Modi government had transformed extradition into a "national priority" through legal reforms, tighter international cooperation, intelligence-led operations and technology-driven tracking.Home Minister Amit Shah amplified the rhetoric in a post on X on Tuesday, saying India had "pulled in the net" around criminals hiding overseas and closed the loopholes that earlier allowed them to evade justice. "Under the vision of a robust and secure India, the Modi govt has pulled in the net, nabbing fugitives hiding abroad. Regardless of which country they absconded to, India's new approach to national security has ensured the return of 274 criminals since 2019, compared with a mere four per year during the UPA regime," Shah wrote."Gone are the days when criminals were allowed to sneak through the gaps in the system. New India has addressed every gap in the old system through new laws, institutions, and global partnerships, weaving an unbreachable security net," he added. According to the MHA, India has brought back 274 fugitives from 36 countries since 2019 through extraditions, deportations and other legal mechanisms. The government said the campaign targets offenders wanted in terrorism, organised crime, narcotics trafficking, cyber fraud, financial crimes and serious offences such as murder, rape and crimes under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.The ministry said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly described fugitive offenders as a challenge not only to law and order but also to India's sovereignty, economic stability and national security.POLITICAL WILL WAS MISSING BEFORE 2014: HOME MINISTRYMaking a direct comparison with previous administrations, the MHA said India's extradition system before 2014 suffered from outdated procedures, inadequate treaty coverage and poor coordination among agencies.According to the ministry's statement, India then had extradition treaties with only 37 countries, while nearly 110 extradition requests remained pending. Between 2004 and 2013 (the UPA government's years at the Centre), the country managed to secure only around four extraditions annually, the MHA's statement said."This changed after 2014 through a combination of legislative reforms and institutional strengthening," the MHA statement added.Among the key measures highlighted was the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, enacted by the PM Modi-led government, which allows authorities to confiscate the assets of economic offenders who flee the country.The Centre also pointed to stricter enforcement of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), under which assets worth Rs 17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals have been attached between 2019 and 2026. The government said assets worth Rs 18,762 crore have also been restored through the process.INTERPOL RED CORNER NOTICES A KEY TOOL, SAYS MHAThe MHA also highlighted a sharp increase in the use of Interpol's Red Corner Notices (RCNs), saying they have become a key tool in tracking fugitives globally.India issued 40 Red Corner Notices in 2022, 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025 and 182 so far in 2026. Over the past three years, 401 fugitives have been issued RCNs, the ministry said in its statement.Home Minister Shah said the government has adopted an integrated, intelligence-led and technology-driven approach to locating fugitives overseas. He also cited the provision for trial in absentia under the three new criminal laws as another mechanism that strengthens the justice system's ability to proceed against absconding accused.IMPACT OF BHARATPOL AND OP TRISHULThe Home Minister in a post on X credited new coordination frameworks such as Bharatpol for improving cooperation among law enforcement agencies worldwide.He said the platform has helped create a seamless international coordination network, effectively turning "every corner of the world into a hunting ground for fugitives"."... New frameworks like the Bharatpol have ensured a seamless coordination grid across the world, effectively turning every corner of the world into a hunting ground for fugitives," Shah posted on X on Tuesday.The MHA also highlighted Operation Trishul, launched to geolocate absconding criminals abroad using satellite inputs, surveillance and digital footprint analysis in coordination with Interpol.According to the ministry, many fugitives had changed their identities while living overseas. Indian agencies, however, were able to identify and trace them through advanced technology and profile mapping.26/11 ACCUSED'S EXTRADITION BIGGEST SUCCESS, SAYS MHAThe largest category of fugitives brought back comprised 62 accused in murder, robbery and other violent crimes, followed by 53 accused in rape and Pocso cases.The government also secured the return of 45 fugitives involved in other offences, 42 linked to organised crime, gangsterism and extortion, 18 in human trafficking and kidnapping cases, 17 in terrorism, anti-national activities and narco-terrorism, 16 in narcotics trafficking, 12 in smuggling, fake currency, cybercrime and contraband, and nine wanted for financial fraud and economic offences.The Centre said the campaign also targets cases involving pro-Khalistan extremism, the gangster-terror nexus, fake currency rackets and cyber fraud.Among the government's biggest successes, the MHA cited the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, from the United States, describing it as an example of sustained legal and diplomatic efforts in complex terrorism cases.The ministry also said fugitives operating from abroad have played a role in sustaining terrorism, narco-terrorism and cross-border support networks in Jammu and Kashmir, making their return a key national security objective.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 17:31 IST