Interpol issued 100 Red Notices on India's request in 2023, highest in a year, asking police forces across globe to detain in their jurisdiction the fugitives wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies who have crossed borders, CBI Director Praveen Sood said on Thursday.

Addressing the 10th Interpol Liaison Officers (ILO’s) Conference, organized by the CBI, Sood said as many as 29 wanted criminals were brought back to India in 2023 and 19 so far in 2024 with the help of Interpol and international law enforcement partners.

He said Global Operation Centre of CBI has handled 17,368 international assistance requests in 2023.

Home Secretary Govind Mohan also lauded the Global Operation Centre of CBI, underlining that the centre is handling 200-300 requests for assistance including both incoming and outgoing on daily basis.

In his address, Sood said as many as 100 Red Notices were issued by Interpol on criminals and fugitives wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies, the highest ever in a year.

Not an arrest warrant, an Interpol Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

The CBI director said the world today faces a multitude of grave and globalized poly-crimes and threats like terrorism, online radicalization, cyber enabled financial crimes, online child sexual exploitation, corruption, drug trafficking, and terror financing.

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

Sood said there is a need for international cooperation in the light of technology enabled offences becoming more prevalent.

"Criminals are no longer constrained by borders, and neither should our efforts to combat them," he said.

“Law enforcement professionals need to be well acquainted with various means of coordinating international assistance in criminal matters," he said.

During the conference, the participants were briefed on intricacies related to extradition, provisional arrest and local prosecution by MEA officials.

"Sessions were dedicated on operationally leveraging INTERPOL channels, GloBE Network and investigation of complex transnational crimes," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

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

"It was highlighted by the speakers that globalization of crime poses a significant challenge. Effectively countering these threats requires close collaboration and partnership with law enforcement agencies across countries and that the need for robust and real-time international police cooperation has never been greater," the statement said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as National Central Bureau (NCB New Delhi) for Interpol in India, connects all law enforcement agencies in India, both at Central and State/ Union Territory level through designated Interpol Liaison Officers, it said.

"The CBI has been organizing ILO’s Conference since 2003 with a view to significantly enhance the utilization of formal and informal means of international police cooperation to combat crime, criminals and proceeds of crime," the statement said.

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