Ajit Karn
CBI Brings Back from Saudi Arabia the Kidnapping and Murder Suspect Wanted by Kerala Police
On Sunday, according to officials, the CBI extradited from Saudi Arabia a fugitive sought by the Kerala Police for kidnapping and murder. He is the 33rd fugitive extradited since last year as part of “Operation Trishul.”
Mohammed Haneefa Makkata, a fugitive with an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against him, was sought by the Kerala Police in connection with the 2006 abduction and murder of one Karim, a case that was investigated by the Kunnamangalam police station in Kozhikode, according to officials.
They added that he was located in Saudi Arabia based on information from the RCN.
Saudi Arabia’s Interpol unit informed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of Makkata’s location and requested a team to return him to India, according to officials.
The CBI relayed the information to the Kerala Police, who on Sunday brought the accused back from Saudi Arabia.
Makkata is the 33rd fugitive to be returned to India since January 2022, according to officials.
Under the CBI’s “Operation Trishul,” he was brought back.
Under the operation, criminals and criminal proceeds are traced and returned from foreign countries with the assistance of Interpol, officials said, adding that the federal agency returned 27 fugitives in 2022 and six in 2023.
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The CBI employs a three-pronged strategy to capture fugitives as part of “Operation Trishul,” which is yielding substantial returns for Indian agencies.
The first step is locating a fugitive through Interpol and requesting their deportation or extradition from the member state in which they have taken refuge.
The agency also mobilises Interpol mechanisms, such as the StAR Global Focal Point Network, Financial Crimes Analysis Files, and other channels, to identify the dispersal of criminal proceeds by financial criminals so that formal channels may be utilised to recover such proceeds.
The third strategy entails dismantling the support networks by generating criminal intelligence on shell companies, fraudulent transactions, money mules, and co-accused individuals located around the world, so that the relevant law enforcement agencies can be notified by Interpol to take appropriate action in accordance with their national legal frameworks.
Over thirty prominent criminals accused of financial fraud in India, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nitin Sandesara, and Jatin Mehta, have sought refuge overseas. Agencies are attempting to reintroduce them, with varying degrees of success thus far.
According to Interpol, Indian agencies are searching for 276 fugitives via RCNs, including a number of prominent economic offenders.
