The Modi Government attached assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026
Assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals were attached by the government between 2019 and 2026 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Additionally, the government was able to restore, recover, and return illegal assets, including funds recovered from fugitive economic offenders, amounting to ₹18,762 crore, to victims, institutions, or the state.India has also brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries since 2019. To strengthen action against fugitives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enacted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.“Through stringent enforcement of PMLA, the Modi Government attached assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive criminals between 2019 and 2026, the statement read.Global TrackingTalking about a series of measures the government has taken over the years, the MHA stated that to strengthen international efforts to trace and apprehend fugitives, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has established a Special Global Operations Centre. The Centre coordinates in real time with police agencies across the world through Interpol, enabling faster tracking and apprehension of fugitives. To facilitate the swift exchange of information, the CBI has also designated Interpol Contact Officers in every state as well as in all central investigating agencies, significantly enhancing coordination and international cooperation in fugitive investigations, it said.The number of Interpol Red Corner Notices issued to track down wanted fugitives 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, according to the MHA.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 identified using satellite data, 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.This was made possible, according to the Ministry, because under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the country has developed an integrated, intelligence-based, and technology-driven model to combat 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,” the MHA stated.The other reason was that incomplete documentation and slow processing made the extradition process highly cumbersome, often leading foreign courts to deny extradition requests, the Ministry stated.Legal HurdlesIndia’s extradition efforts also faced legal and judicial hurdles, including the principles of double jeopardy and dual criminality, which frequently resulted in the rejection of extradition requests. Furthermore, 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 were also conducted at a slow pace, according to the MHA.Published on August 4, 2026
