Murderers, gangsters, extortionists and terrorists are among 274 fugitives brought back to India from 36 countries over the past seven years since 2019, the government has revealed.This translates into an average of 39 fugitives being repatriated every year as against four annually during the previous Congress-led UPA regime.Sharing the data today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “New India has addressed every gap in the old system through new laws, institutions and global partnerships, weaving an unbreachable security net.”The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statistics showed that 62 of the fugitives brought back were wanted for murders and violent crimes, 42 for organised crimes and extortion, 53 for sexual offences and 17 for terrorism and anti-national acts.The government said previous dispensations “lacked the political will to bring back fugitives, but the current BJP-led NDA had made the extradition of fugitives a national priority”. The Centre attributed the success to the development of an integrated, intelligence-led and technology-driven model to combat fugitive criminals.”The government launched BHARAT POL, connecting more than 1,400 agencies with Interpol, thereby reducing the time required for information sharing to three to 10 days. The NIA Amendment Act and the UAPA Act were brought in 2019. For the first time, Sections 355 and 356 of the BNSS provide for trial in absentia, enabling the entire judicial process to be completed even in the absence of a fugitive,” the MHA said.The government said enforcement efforts were no longer confined to proscribed organisations alone.”The scope of action has been expanded to include individual terrorists, handlers, funding networks and support systems based abroad, significantly strengthening India’s ability to pursue fugitives and dismantle their networks,” the MHA said.It said the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act had been used to recover Rs 17,874 crore from assets belonging to fugitives between 2019 and 2026. Also, successful restitution amounting to Rs 18,762 crore was carried out, including funds recovered from economic offenders who had fled the country, the MHA said.The number of Interpol red corner notices issued has increased significantly in recent years, with 40 issued in 2022, 100 in 2023, 107 in 2024, 112 in 2025 and 182 in 2026 so far.