Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated the first ever International Day of Police Cooperation and the Investiture Ceremony at CBI Headquarters in Delhi on September 7.
During the ceremony, the Minister informed that India has successfully recovered assets worth more than USD 1.8 billion from economic offenders and fugitives in the last four years. These impressive results are credited to the government’s introduction of the Economic Offenders Act and its consistent efforts to combat financial crimes. In addition, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has helped attach the assets of offenders worth more than 12 billion US dollars since 2014.
He highlighted the significant increase in the extradition of criminals and fugitives in recent years, especially after India hosted the 90th Interpol General Assembly in October 2022. This year alone, 19 criminals and fugitives have returned to India, demonstrating a growing trend of cooperation between India and other nations in the realm of policing.
Speaking about the enactment of the Economic Offenders Act in 2018, the Minister said the Modi government is aggressively pursuing economic offenders and informed about the recovery and attachment of huge assets from economic offenders, fugitives, and money launderers.
Tracing the evolution of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from its inception, Union Minister Singh recalled that from a quiet beginning in 1941 as a Special Police Establishment with a mandate to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions pertaining to the War and Supply Department of the government, the Central Bureau of Investigation was established as a full-fledged anti-corruption body of India in 1963.
The Minister said the litmus test for any organisation is to win the trust of the people and added that the CBI has not only gained the trust of the public but has also established niche specialised investigative units to handle investigations pertaining to trafficking in human beings and drugs, among others.
As the world confronts evolving challenges in the fight against crime and security threats, the Minister stressed the importance of stronger international police cooperation, emphasising the need for global connectivity among law enforcement agencies.