Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that law enforcement agencies in different countries must come together to combat the growing menaces of terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption, and organized crime.
Modi stated this while delivering his keynote address at the inauguration of the 90th General Assembly of Interpol in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“When threats are global, the response cannot be just local. It is high time that the world came together to defeat these threats,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi argued that there is a need to “develop international strategies” to combat transnational terrorism, which he said, isn’t just confined to the physical space, but has also spread over the cyber domain through online radicalization and other forms of online threats.
“Each nation is working on strategies against them. But what we do within our borders is no longer enough,” Modi stated.
The Indian prime minister suggested taking collaboration among different governments in establishing early detection and warning systems, protecting transportation services, and ensuring security of communication and other critical infrastructure to a “new level.”
He further underlined that different governments must forge greater understanding to combat corruption and other financial crimes.
Modi Expresses Concern Over 'Safe Havens' for Economic Offenders
Modi also expressed concerns over instances of fugitive economic offenders finding “safe havens” in other countries where they are able to park the proceeds of their ill-gotten wealth.
The Indian government is currently involved in negotiations with the UK and several other nations to try to repatriate fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, convicted by courts of swindling Indian banks of millions of dollars.
Modi underlined that there is always a risk of money acquired through corrupt means falling into the hands of terrorist groups, a concern New Delhi has often taken up with Pakistan.
“Police and law enforcement agencies need to devise procedures and protocols to increase cooperation. Interpol can help by speeding up Red Corner Notices for fugitive offenders,” he stated.
India's Engagements with Interpol
India has been lobbying Interpol to press Pakistan to act against underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim, a former Indian resident convicted of funding the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, as well as Masood Azhar, founder of terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
All three persons are designated as terrorists under India’s Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), with red corner lookout notices already out there against Azhar and Ibrahim.
New Delhi also approached Interpol for issuing a red corner notice against US resident Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a group banned under Indian law.
The SFJ advocates for creating a separate homeland, Khalistan, to be carved out from India for the Sikh population.
However, New Delhi’s request for a red corner notice against Pannu has been reportedly rejected by Interpol.
The Indian PM’s pitch advocating a greater collaboration among Interpol’s member states comes a day after the organization’s Secretary General Jurgen Stock said the global police group has no role in curbing state-sponsored terrorism and its main focus is on “ordinary law crimes.”
“To be very specific and concrete, we are playing no role. We are focusing primarily on so-called, according to our constitution, ordinary law crime,” Stock told reporters in New Delhi.