The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully brought back 134 fugitives from foreign countries in just five years, nearly twice as many as were extradited or deported in the entire decade from 2010 to 2019, officials said.

Since 2020, the CBI has been working closely with Interpol, central and state agencies, and foreign governments to fast-track extradition cases. Twenty-three fugitives have been returned this year alone. In comparison, only 74 fugitives were repatriated during the entire 10-year period between 2010 and 2019.

Officials attribute the improved numbers to stronger diplomatic ties, high-level visits, better technology, and faster coordination with global partners.

How extradition works: A 3-step process

CBI officials explained that extraditing a fugitive involves three stages:

  1. Issuing a Red Notice through Interpol to alert all member countries

  2. Locating the accused

  3. Extraditing or deporting them after legal and diplomatic efforts

This entire process can take months, or even years, to complete.

Digital leap: ‘Bharatpol’ portal cuts down delays

To reduce delays in issuing Red Notices, the CBI launched Bharatpol, its own digital portal, in January 2025. This platform connects Indian law enforcement agencies with Interpol through the CBI.

Previously, it could take six months to publish a Red Notice. Thanks to Bharatpol, the time has been cut down to just three months.

An official said, "The portal has ensured improved documentation, which took time because at times officials dealing with Interpol issues were not well versed with the format... The to-and-fro communication between CBI and other agencies has now been significantly curtailed."

Global coordination centres

The CBI also set up a Global Operations Centre to improve cooperation with foreign enforcement agencies. This unit plays a key role in handling extraditions, cybercrime investigations, and repatriation of fugitives.

In many cases, the Ministry of External Affairs, including ambassadors and high commissioners, have also played a crucial part in securing deportations.

Nehal Modi’s arrest in US

A recent high-profile arrest was that of Nehal Modi, brother of Nirav Modi, who is accused of a ₹13,000 crore banking scam. Nehal, held in New York's Franklin Correctional Institute, was set for release on July 4. But acting quickly, the CBI alerted U.S. authorities a month in advance and ensured he was arrested as soon as he stepped out.

He now faces extradition proceedings starting July 17, 2025. Meanwhile, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi remain in custody in the UK and Belgium, respectively, with India continuing to push for their return.

1999 fugitive Monika Kapoor finally extradited

In another success, the CBI managed to bring back Monika Kapoor, who had fled to the U.S. in 1999. After a long legal fight, she was extradited on July 9 this year.

Not just Indian fugitives, India helps other countries too

The CBI also helps foreign governments track and arrest criminals hiding in India.

In March 2025, Lithuanian national Aleksej Besciokov, wanted in the U.S. for money laundering via his platform "Grantax", was caught in Kerala by the CBI and local police. He was about to flee the country when he was arrested.

Cracking down on cybercrime, one raid at a time

India has also busted cybercrime gangs based on complaints from countries like the U.S., Japan, and Germany. These scammers were cheating foreign citizens using phishing and fraud tactics.

The CBI’s searches led to the recovery of ₹30–40 crore worth of cryptocurrency. These results have helped improve India’s standing when it comes to getting its own extradition requests prioritised in other countries.

As of December 2024, 65 Indian extradition requests were pending with the U.S. government.

UAE, Saudi Arabia emerging as key partners

The Gulf region, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has become an important partner in India’s repatriation efforts.

So far in 2025, India has brought back several wanted individuals from the UAE, including:

  • Kubbawala Mustafa (narcotics)

  • Taher Salim Dolais (drug trafficking)

  • Upavan Pavan Jain (fraud)

  • Moideenabba Ummer Beary (fake currency racket)

  • Suhail Basheer (wanted in Kerala)

Officials noted that in some countries, domestic legal hurdles continue to delay extraditions. But persistent diplomatic outreach has still resulted in the capture of high-priority fugitives.

India has extradition treaties with 48 countries, and formal arrangements with 12 more, according to recent government data.

G20 and Interpol meet boosted extradition talks

Two global events hosted by India, the Interpol General Assembly in 2022 and the G20 Summit, also played a big role in boosting India’s global legal partnerships.

At the G20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged world leaders to speed up extradition processes, saying:

"There can be no safe havens for the corrupt, terrorists, drug cartels, poaching gangs, or organised crime. Such crimes against people in one place are crimes against everyone, crimes against humanity."

Home Minister Amit Shah also called for a permanent Interpol mechanism to allow real-time information sharing between countries.

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