Canberra : India and Australia Tuesday agreed to transfer sentenced prisoners as well as counter narcotics trafficking in both the countries by signing two agreements.
The two sides agreed during bilateral talks here between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott.
According to a statement issued by Australia’s Minister for Justice Michael Keenan, both the agreements will “further bolster the strong law enforcement cooperation relationship” between the two nations.
“Today I was pleased to sign a Prisoner Transfer Agreement between Australia and India as well as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Counter Narcotics Trafficking and Developing Police Cooperation,” Keenan said.
“The signing of these instruments highlights this government’s commitment to further expand and strengthen our partnerships,” he added.
Keenan said the interconnected nature of the world has created a borderless criminal threat environment and the MOU will enable the Australian Federal Police and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau to cooperate in training personnel and exchanging specialists and experts in the field of narcotics control.
“The MOU will support both countries in detecting and disrupting organised criminal groups that seek to import illegal substances, including precursors to manufacture drugs,” he said.
The minister further said that Prisoner Transfer Agreement is important because given the nature of transnational organised crime, it is increasingly common for criminals to be convicted and sentenced in foreign countries.
“This agreement will enable Australian prisoners in India to apply to serve the remaining part of their sentence in Australia, and vice versa for Indian prisoners,” said Keenan.
“Criminal networks that operate with little regard for national boundaries are a global concern and a significant law enforcement challenge we all share…
“Close cooperation to fight transnational crime with our international allies is paramount for safety and security globally,” he said.