New Delhi, Sep 7: The assets worth 1.8 billion US dollars have been recovered from economic offenders and fugitives in the last four years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in the Economic Offenders Act, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.
He said the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has helped in attaching the assets of offenders worth more than 12 billion US dollars since 2014.
Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking in his inaugural address at the first-ever “International Day of Police Cooperation” after conferring Indian Police Medals to distinguished CBI officers at an Investiture Ceremony at CBI Headquarters here.
The minister said there has been a quantum jump in extradition of criminals and fugitives in recent years especially after India hosted the 90th Interpol General Assembly in October 2022.
This year, so far 19 criminals/fugitives have returned to India, he said, adding, “In the previous years, on an average around 10 criminals/fugitives have returned to India with 27 returning in 2022 and 18 in 2021.”
Dr Singh underlined that the marked increase in the return of criminals/fugitives to India is the result of enhanced cooperation policing between India and other countries pursuant to the 90th Interpol General Assembly held in October 2022 in Delhi, which was inaugurated by PM Modi.
Speaking about the enactment of the Economic Offenders Act in 2018, Dr Jitendra said, “Modi government is aggressively pursuing economic offenders and informed about the recovery of assets worth over 1.8 billion dollars from economic offenders and fugitives.”
Dr Jitendra recalled that it was Prime Minister Modi who presented a nine-point agenda for action against Fugitive Economic Offenders and Asset Recovery at the G-20 Summit in 2018 and expressed happiness that decisive steps are being taken by the working group.
The United Nations General Assembly on 16th December 2022, adopted a historic resolution to designate 7th September as the International Day of Police Cooperation, to be observed starting in 2023, he said. The resolution emphasises the need to strengthen international cooperation at the global, regional and sub-regional levels in various areas related to preventing and combating transnational crime, in particular transnational organised crime, and preventing and countering terrorism.
The selected date for annual observance on September 07 coincides with the date when INTERPOL’s predecessor the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was created in 1923, he noted.
The minister informed that a special theme of the inaugural International Day of Police Cooperation is the recognition of the vital importance of women in policing. INTERPOL is observing its Centenary year in 2023 and is the world’s largest police organization with 195 member countries.
The union minister gave away medals to meritorious staff and officers and congratulated the awardees and their family members. He wished all the best to CBI and its officers.
