Head of CBI – Indian Defence Research Wing

SOURCE: PTI

Interpol has issued 100 red notices in 2023, the highest number in a year, at the request of India, asking police forces around the world to apprehend fugitives wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies who have crossed the border within their jurisdiction, CBI Director Praveen Sood said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 10th Interpol Liaison Officers (ILO) Conference, organised by the CBI, Praveen Sood said that as many as 29 wanted criminals have been brought back to India in 2023 and 19 so far in 2024, with the help of Interpol and international law enforcement partners.

He said CBI’s Global Operation Centre handled 17,368 international requests for assistance in 2023.

Home Minister Govind Mohan also lauded the Global Operation Centre of CBI and stressed that the centre processes 200-300 requests for assistance daily, both incoming and outgoing. In his address, Praveen Sood said that as many as 100 Red Notices have been issued by Interpol to criminals and fugitives wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies, the highest number ever in a year.

An Interpol Red Notice is not an arrest warrant, but a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal proceedings.

The CBI Director said the world today faces a multitude of serious and global poly-crimes and threats, such as terrorism, online radicalisation, cybercrime, online child sexual exploitation, corruption, drug trafficking and terrorist financing.

“The Indian police have been at the forefront in addressing these challenges through a combination of a robust legal framework, innovative initiatives, leveraging technology and proactive international cooperation,” he said.

Praveen Sood said there is a need for international cooperation in light of the increasing prevalence of technology-enabled crimes. “Criminals are no longer limited by borders and neither are our efforts to combat them,” he said.

“Law enforcement professionals must be well versed in the various ways of coordinating international assistance in criminal matters,” he said.

During the conference, participants were briefed by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the complexities of extradition, provisional arrest and local prosecution.

“The sessions focused on operationally utilizing INTERPOL channels, GloBE Network and investigating complex transnational crimes,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

He said that an expert roundtable discussion on the theme ‘Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships’ was held with the participation of speakers from BKA (Germany), FBI (USA), CBI, National Police Agency (Japan), National Crime Agency (UK), PDI (Chile) and Nepal Police.

“Speakers stressed that the globalization of crime poses a major challenge. Effectively countering these threats requires close cooperation and partnership with law enforcement agencies in all countries, and the need for robust and real-time international police cooperation has never been greater,” the statement said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as the National Central Bureau (NCB New Delhi) for Interpol in India, connects all law enforcement agencies in India, both at the central and state/union territory levels, through designated Interpol liaison officers, the report said. “The CBI has been organising the ILO conference since 2003 with a view to significantly enhancing the use of formal and informal means of international police cooperation to combat crime, criminals and proceeds of crime,” the statement said.