India brings back 274 fugitives, attaches Rs 17,874 crore assets

India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries since 2019.To strengthen action against fugitives, the govt enacted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018. 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. The government also attached assets worth Rs17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026. According to an official statement, over the past three years, Red Corner Notices have been issued against 401 fugitive criminals.
According to official statement, before 2014, the country's extradition framework had become outdated, and India had extradition treaties with only 37 countries.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, the statement noted and added that 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 but 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.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.
As per information, in January 2025. BHARATPOL has created a comprehensive information infrastructure by integrating the CBI, State Police Headquarters (through Interpol Liaison Officers - ILOs), and District Police Headquarters onto a single platform. Under this initiative, more than 1,400 units of State and Central agencies have been connected through the portal, ensuring seamless flow of information. The PMLA was also implemented vigourosly and after this ,the Modi Government attached assets worth Rs17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026.The constitution of a Standing Focus Group under the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in January 2026 marks a significant institutional step in strengthening India's fugitive management framework.
Maximum 62 fufitives were wanted in murder,robbery and violent crimes while 53 fugitives were repatriated who were wanted in POCSO Act and rape cases. The extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana from the United States stands as a significant example of India's resolve and its sustained legal and diplomatic efforts in pursuing complex terror cases. In matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, fugitives operating from abroad had been used to sustain terrorism, narco-terrorism, and cross-border support networks.