INTERPOL NOTICES - INTERNATIONAL

News: Are Interpol’s notices being politically exploited? | Explained

 

What's in the news?

       The International Criminal Police Organisation, more commonly known as Interpol, comprising 194 member countries, plays a crucial role as an information-sharing network to enable national police forces to combat transnational crimes.

 

Key takeaways:

       Concerns have been raised about the misuse of Interpol’s notice system, especially the issuance of blue corner notices, which are less scrutinised than their red corner notices.

 

INTERPOL:

       The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is an intergovernmental organization that helps coordinate the police force of 194 member countries.

       Each of the member countries hosts an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB). This connects their national law enforcement with other countries and with the General Secretariat.

       The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.

 

Headquarters - Lyon, France

 

Functions:

Provides investigative support, expertise and training to law enforcement agencies worldwide focusing on the following key areas such as

       Transnational crime

       Terrorism

       Cybercrime

       Organized crime

       Crimes against humanity

       Child pornography

       Drug trafficking and production

       Political corruption

       Infringement of intellectual property rights and

       White-collar crime.

 

INTERPOL Notices:

       INTERPOL Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

       Notices are issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau and are made available for all our member countries to consult in our Notices database.

       Notices can also be issued at the request of International Criminal Tribunals and the International Criminal Court to seek persons wanted for committing crimes within their jurisdiction, notably genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. They can also be issued at the request of the United Nations in relation to the implementation of sanctions imposed by the Security Council.

       Most Notices are for police use only and are not available to the public. However, an extract of the Notice can be published on this site if the requesting country wishes to alert the public or seek their help. All United Nations Special Notices are public.

 

Types of Notices:

1. Red Notice:

       To seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.

 

2. Yellow Notice:

       To help locate missing persons, often minors or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.

 

3. Blue Notice:

       To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.              

 

4. Black Notice:

       To seek information on unidentified bodies.

 

5. Green Notice:

       To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.

 

6. Orange Notice:

       To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.

 

7. Purple Notice:

       To seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.

 

8. INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notice:

       Issued for entities and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.