Interpol: Organisational Structure, Functions & Major Interpol Notices

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Table of contents

Context (TH): 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.

About Interpol

It is an international organisation that facilitates cooperation and collaboration among law enforcement agencies from different countries to combat transnational crime.
It is the world’s largest international police organisation, established in 1923.
It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
It has 196 member countries (including India).
It is headed by the Secretary-General, appointed by the General Assembly.

It is Interpol’s highest decision-making body, with one delegate from each member nation.

It is the governing body overseeing the implementation of General Assembly decisions as well as the administration and activities of the General Secretariat.

It is the organisation in charge of coordinating the policing and administrative functions.
It manages Interpol’s day-to-day operations to assist member nations with international policing.

The National Central Bureau is the focal point for all Interpol activity in a nation.
It helps investigate crime in their own country and share criminal data to assist another country.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.

Facilitates cross-border police cooperation.
Prevents and combats transnational crime.
Provides support through information sharing, coordination, and collaboration.
Serves as a global communication hub for law enforcement agencies by providing secure platform for sharing information, intelligence, and alerts related to criminal activities.
It maintains several global databases containing information on various types of crimes, including terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime, etc.
It issues color-coded notices to alert member countries about individuals wanted internationally, missing persons, and threats.

Critics argue that countries often exploit existing protocols to target political refugees and dissidents.
Much of this outrage is directed at Russia, which has repeatedly issued notices and diffusions for the arrest of Kremlin opponents.

A blue corner notice, also known as an enquiry notice, allows police forces in member states to share critical crime-related information, such as obtaining a person’s criminal record and location and having his or her identity verified, among others.
For instance, in January 2020, Interpol issued a blue corner notice to help locate fugitive selfstyled godman Nithyananda.

A red corner notice is issued by a member state to arrest a wanted criminal through extradition or any other similar lawful action.
Such notices are issued against persons wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or a court decision.
The country issuing the request need not be the home country of the fugitive. Interpol acts even on the request of a country where the alleged crime has been committed.
While blue corner notices are issued prior to the filing of criminal charges, red corner notices generally follow criminal convictions.
The concerned individual can be stopped and arrested while traveling through a member state.
There will also be other detrimental consequences, such as the closure of bank accounts.
However, Interpol cannot compel law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the subject of a red corner notice as the exercise of such powers is entirely discretionary.
In 2018, a red corner notice was issued against fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi in relation to the Punjab National Bank scam.
However, in October 2022, Interpol rejected a second request by India to issue such a notice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, whom the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has listed as a terrorist.
The agency said that India has failed to provide sufficient information to support its case and that his activities have a clear political dimension.