The recent development trailing the case of Mehul Choksi, a fugitive implicated in the $2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud case in India has revealed that the global police body, Interpol, has removed the red notice issued against him. Nevertheless, it’s noteworthy that this act does not hamper ongoing investigations or extradition requests from India.
Understanding Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, was established in 1923. It serves as a secure medium for information exchange, thus aiding the criminal investigation efforts by various police forces across the globe. The basis of its operations lies in collecting relevant data from different police units worldwide and distributing this information effectively.
Interpol has its headquarters located in Lyon, France, and is comprised of 195 member countries. Since 15th October 1949, India has been part of this global organisation.
The Significance of Interpol
Essentially, Interpol performs the crucial role of tracking the actions of criminals and individuals under surveillance in different regions. The information serves as resourceful tips for police forces who have either sought assistance from Interpol or who, in Interpol’s opinion, could maximise the utilisation of the provided data.
The overarching aim of Interpol is to enhance the scope of mutual assistance amongst criminal police forces as broad as possible.
The Role of National Law Agencies
Each member country communicates with Interpol through its highest investigating body. In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) fulfills this role. A senior officer from the CBI heads Interwing, an exclusive division responsible for data collation and liaison activities with Interpol.
Insight into Interpol Notices
Interpol notices are essentially international alerts or requests for cooperation that allow member countries’ police forces to share critical information relating to crimes. The General Secretariat issues these notices upon request from a member country’s Interpol National Central Bureau. The information contained in these notices is then made available for all member countries to access through the Notices database maintained by Interpol.