CBI Director Urges Agencies to Synergise and Share Databases for More Effective Fugitive Extraditions
CBI Director Calls for Unified Approach and Data Sharing to Strengthen Extradition of Fugitives
NEW DELHI, Oct 18: CBI Director Praveen Sood has underscored the urgent need for enhanced coordination and seamless data-sharing among India’s law enforcement agencies to bolster efforts to extradite fugitives from abroad.
Addressing state police chiefs and senior officers of central agencies during the two-day conference on “Extradition of Fugitives Challenges and Strategies,” Sood emphasised that sharing databases and fostering synergy among agencies is critical to tracking and bringing back wanted criminals.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, chairing the valedictory session, stated that the deliberations would help chart a roadmap for future extradition strategies. He highlighted the importance of strengthening documentation to withstand international legal scrutiny and detailed the Home Department’s initiatives to facilitate the return of fugitives.
Director General of the National Investigation Agency, Sadanand Date, noted that provisions of new criminal laws, particularly those related to trial in absentia, could be leveraged against absconding offenders.
The conference, inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, saw participation from over 200 officers representing 45 state and central law enforcement agencies, including the MHA, MEA, ED, NCB, FIU, NIA, NTRO, DRI, CBDT, Mumbai Police, INTERPOL, and CBI. Twenty-five senior officers delivered presentations on legal and operational challenges in extraditing fugitives.
Key discussions focused on leveraging technology for tracking criminals, analysing financial trails, strategic extradition planning, and utilising international cooperation channels. Special attention was given to cases involving narco-terrorism, cybercrime, organised crime, and financial offences.
The conference also explored the use of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act to target global assets of wanted fugitives and discussed tracing fund flows using anti-money laundering frameworks. Additionally, the newly introduced Silver Notice by INTERPOL was examined as a tool for international collaboration in fugitive recovery.
The CBI reaffirmed its commitment to creating a unified, strategic approach to ensure that fugitives evading justice cannot remain beyond the reach of law.
