New Delhi: Taking a decisive stance against fugitive criminals, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries since 2019, said a release from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

To strengthen action against fugitives, PM Modi enacted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018. Under the guidance of 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.

The fugitives brought back to India include individuals wanted in Fraud/ Financial Crimes (9), Terrorist activity/ Anti-national activity/ Narco Terror (17), Organized crime/ Gangsters/ Extortion (42), Murder/ Robbery/ Violent Crime (62), Sexual Offences/ Rape/ POCSO (53), Narcotics/ NDPS/ Drug Trafficking (16), Smuggling/ Fake Currency/ Cyber/ Contraband (9), Human Trafficking/ Kidnapping (18) and Other (45).

The success achieved in bringing fugitive offenders back to India is not the result of chance, but of credibility, thorough legal preparation, sustained diplomatic persistence and continuous follow-up. At the domestic level, this effort has been driven by close coordination among 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 Goods & Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) and State Police forces, said the release.