New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday organised the 12th INTERPOL Liaison Officers’ Conference at its headquarters, bringing together representatives from states, Union Territories and central law enforcement agencies to strengthen international cooperation in criminal investigations.
The conference was attended by officers from agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), along with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The theme of this year’s conference was “Collaboration and Capacity Building for Effective Law Enforcement.”
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, who addressed the gathering, highlighted the critical role played by INTERPOL liaison officers in facilitating international cooperation during criminal investigations. He said such conferences help identify practical challenges faced by investigators while seeking assistance from foreign law enforcement agencies through both formal and informal channels.
Mohan emphasised that tackling transnational crimes such as terrorism, trafficking, cyber-enabled fraud and organised crime requires close coordination between Indian agencies and their counterparts abroad. He also praised the CBI’s efforts in strengthening cooperation with global law enforcement agencies through working arrangements and memorandums of understanding.
He noted that India’s election to the INTERPOL Asian Committee for the 2025–2029 term during the 25th Asian Regional Conference in Singapore reflects the country’s growing role in shaping regional policing strategies and its commitment to collective action against transnational crime in the Asia-Pacific region.
CBI Director Praveen Sood, in his opening remarks, stressed the need for coordinated action among agencies to track and bring back wanted fugitives. He said that 47 fugitives were brought back to India in 2025, the highest number in the past 15 years, attributing the success to active collaboration among the CBI, MHA, MEA and other law enforcement agencies.
Sood also urged agencies to keep extradition-related documents ready once an INTERPOL Red Notice is issued against a fugitive so that the extradition process can begin promptly when the accused is located abroad.
The conference featured specialised sessions and operational discussions on topics such as the effective use of INTERPOL channels, processing of international liaison requests, legal and evidentiary standards for extradition, and case studies highlighting best practices.
The INTERPOL Liaison Officers’ Conference, organised annually by the CBI, serves as a key platform for improving coordination among Indian agencies and enhancing the use of global policing mechanisms to combat transnational crime.
