NEW DELHI: Coinciding with the launch of ‘Bharatpol’ the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has, for the first time, decided to deploy three senior officers in two different countries - France and Singapore - for better coordination in tracking fugitive criminals with the ‘Interpol’, officials said on Thursday.
A senior officer in the know of the development said, “The move is aimed at ensuring better coordination between the CBI, the nodal agency in India and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). This is for the first time that the CBI has stationed officers at Interpol.”
The officer said, for timely redressal of issues related to transnational crimes and tracking fugitives, they have stationed three CBI officers - two in France and one in Singapore for coordination purposes.
“These officers help in facilitating extradition, coordination and other legal issues related to fugitives involved in transnational crimes,” he added.
As per the data available with the CBI in 2024 more than 170 Interpol notices under various categories have been issued.
In 2023, more than 100 Red Corner Notices (RCN) were issued, leading to the return of 29 wanted criminals to India. In 2024, at least 20 individuals were brought back to India with the support of Interpol and international law enforcement partners.
There are seven types of Interpol notices including Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice and the Interpol issues these notices at the request of a member country’s National Central Bureau and shares them with all 196 member countries.
Interpol is headquartered in Lyon, France and facilitates global police cooperation and helps member countries in crime prevention.
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the ‘Bharatpol’ portal to facilitate faster international assistance for agencies.
Five key features of ‘Bharatpol’ :
Common platform: It integrates the CBI as the Interpol (NCB-New Delhi) with all law enforcement authorities in India, down to the level of Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs).
Request mechanism simplified: It allows front-line police officers to easily and promptly request international assistance from 196 Interpol member countries in standardised templates.
Enhancing speed in dissemination of information: It enables the CBI as the NCB to rapidly share criminal intelligence and inputs from 196 member countries with all law enforcement agencies in the country.
Better use of Interpol notices: It will enable easy drafting of RCN requests and other colour coded notices.
Capacity building: It also provides access to relevant documents, templates, and training resources, enhancing the capability of frontline officers to conduct investigations abroad and seek foreign assistance.