New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully extradited fugitive Munawar Khan from Kuwait, a wanted criminal accused of defrauding public sector banks through forgery and cheating.

Khan, against whom a Red Corner Notice was issued by INTERPOL in February 2022 at the request of CBI’s Special Task Branch (STB), Chennai, was handed over to Indian authorities after approval by Kuwaiti officials.

He was flown to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday, escorted by the Kuwait Police. A CBI team from Chennai took him into custody at the airport. His location had earlier been traced in Kuwait through sustained follow-ups between CBI and the National Central Bureau (NCB)–Kuwait.

Khan had come under the scanner after being accused of conspiring with associates to cheat the Bank of Baroda. Soon after the fraud, he fled to a Gulf nation and was declared a proclaimed offender.

The extradition was facilitated by the International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) of the CBI in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and NCB-Kuwait.

Over the last few years, more than 130 wanted criminals have been brought back to India through INTERPOL channels, with CBI coordinating law enforcement efforts across the country via its BHARATPOL platform.