The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Jotham Napat, ordered the cancellation of the passport previously issued by his government to Indian billionaire Lalit Modi, further deepening the troubles faced by this fugitive tycoon.
The Fiji Times reported that a few days before Napat made this decision, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Modi had sought the cancellation of his Indian passport.
In a statement, Napat said: "I have instructed the Citizenship Commission to immediately initiate the process to cancel Modi's Vanuatu passport."
Napat stated that Modi's Vanuatu passport was issued "after all standard background checks, including screening by Interpol," and they continued to issue the passport to Modi after discovering that "Interpol had twice refused India's request to issue a Red Notice against Modi due to lack of substantial judicial evidence." Modi is wanted in India for financial fraud.
Shortly after the Vanuatu government announced the news, Modi posted a message on the social platform "X," along with a video and photos of his visit to Vanuatu. In the post, Modi mentioned, "Vanuatu is a beautiful country. You must add it to your bucket list. Away from all pollution and noise. This is truly paradise."
Modi is best known as the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he has been wanted in India but has been living abroad since 2010.
Last week, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Modi had contacted the Indian High Commission in the UK, requesting the cancellation of his Indian passport.
"It is understood that Modi has applied to the Indian High Commission in the UK for passport cancellation. These issues will be reviewed according to existing rules and procedures. We have also learned that he has obtained Vanuatu citizenship. We will continue to investigate him in accordance with legal requirements."
In recent years, Vanuatu has been part of India's Indo-Pacific diplomacy, participating in the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), where India provides development aid to the scattered islands in the Pacific. FIPIC was launched in 2014.
