India, Thailand sign extradition treaty after two decades

 In a ''major boost'' to bilateral security cooperation, India and Thailand on Thursday signed the much awaited extradition treaty after 20 years of intense negotiations, with New Delhi eyeing to bring back a key aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

The two countries also firmed up a pact to effectively deal with money laundering, terror financing and ratified a treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, enabling both sides to swap prisoners after they have served a portion of their prison terms.

The two sides signed seven agreements, including cooperation in space technology and education after wide ranging talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra.An MoU between India’s Financial Intelligence Unit and Thailand’s Anti Money Laundering Organisation on cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering and terrorism financing was also signed.

“Our growing security cooperation received a major boost on Thursday. The Extradition Treaty, concluded after two decades of negotiations, and a memorandum on cooperation in anti-money laundering send a major signal of our shared commitment to combating terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking and counterfeiting,” Singh said. He added, “We also agreed to continue strengthening defence relations, including through exchanges, exercises and joint patrolling”. India is seeking the early extradition of Munna Zingada, a Dawood aide, who is wanted in numerous cases by the Mumbai Police.

But he has been in a Bangkok prison for about a decade with both India and Pakistan claiming him. Zingada attacked Chhota Rajan in 2001 on the orders of Chhota Shakeel, Dawood’s right-hand man.

Rajan was severely injured in the attack but escaped from a hospital to avoid deportation to India.