What is Interpol ?
The word 'INTERPOL' is radio-telegraph code for the International Criminal Police Organization which consists of 188 member countries who have agreed to "ensure and promote the widest possible assistance between all criminal police authorities in the prevention and suppression of ordinary law crimes". The Organization's headquarters is in Lyon, France.
The INTERPOL organisation now incorporates 188 member countries, an intergovernmental organisation second in size only to the United Nations, where Interpol also has observer status. International police co-operation has become increasingly complex: differing legal systems, definitions of crimes, rules for evidence, varying responsibilities between law enforcement and judicial services, incompatible extradition laws, incompatible information systems, restrictions on sharing information. These are just a few of the barriers Interpol strives to help the world overcome in the fight against ever higher levels of international crime.
One thing it does not have is the Interpol agents or detectives who travel the world over, chasing spies, murderers, etc. and conducting investigations in different countries. The I.C.P.O.-INTERPOL in fact, is an international police organization to extend co-operation for co-ordinated action on the part of member countries and their police forces which may furnish or request for information or services for combating - international crime.
The word 'INTERPOL' is radio-telegraph code for the International Criminal Police Organization which consists of 188 member countries who have agreed to "ensure and promote the widest possible assistance between all criminal police authorities in the prevention and suppression of ordinary law crimes". The Organization's headquarters is in Lyon, France.The INTERPOL organisation now incorporates 188 member countries, an intergovernmental organisation second in size only to the United Nations, where Interpol also has observer status. International police co-operation has become increasingly complex: differing legal systems, definitions of crimes, rules for evidence, varying responsibilities between law enforcement and judicial services, incompatible extradition laws, incompatible information systems, restrictions on sharing information. These are just a few of the barriers Interpol strives to help the world overcome in the fight against ever higher levels of international crime.
One thing it does not have is the Interpol agents or detectives who travel the world over, chasing spies, murderers, etc. and conducting investigations in different countries. The I.C.P.O.-INTERPOL in fact, is an international police organization to extend co-operation for co-ordinated action on the part of member countries and their police forces which may furnish or request for information or services for combating - international crime.
Interpol Notices
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- Red Notices
- Blue Notices
- Green Notices
- Black Notices
- Stolen Property Notices
- Modus Operandi (MO) Sheets
- Orange Notices
- UN Security Council Interpol Special Notice Notices
Notice type Details Red Notice Requests (provisional) arrest of wanted persons, with a view to extradition. An Interpol Red Notice is "the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today." Interpol does not have the authority to issue arrest warrants in the formal sense of the word, as this is the domain of the sovereign member states. Yellow Notice Asks for help locating missing persons (usually minors) or identifying people who are unable to identify themselves. Blue Notice Requests additional information about a person in relation to a crime. Black Notice Seeks information on unidentified bodies. Green Notice To provide warnings and criminal intelligence about persons who have committed criminal offences and are likely to repeat these crimes in other countries. Orange Notice Warns police and other international organizations about potential threats from disguised weapons, parcel bombs, or other dangerous materials. Purple Notice To provide information on modi operandi, procedures, objects, devices and hiding places used by criminals. Interpol-United Nations Security Council Special Notice Issued for groups and individuals who are targets of UN sanctions against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. This was created in 2005 at the request of the UN Security Councilthrough the adoption of resolution 1617 and implemented through the adoption of INTERPOL resolution AG-2005-RES-05. ----------------------------------------------------------
A Series (Red) NoticesThe 'A' series notices also known as 'Wanted notices' are published in respect of offenders wanted at international level. This type of notice invariably ask that the subject may be arrested, at least in certain countries, with a view to subsequent extradition to the country where he is wanted.
The publication of an 'A' series notice should only be requested if all the following conditions are fulfilled:
- The person against whom the notice is to be published has committed an offence against ordinary criminal law.
- The offence is an "extraditable offence" under the Indian Extradition Act, 1962.
- A warrant of arrest has been issued for his/her arrest.
- Extradition will be requested, at least from certain countries.
-If any of the above conditions is not satisfied, a 'B' series notice should probably be requested.
If a person whether an Indian or a foreigner has committed an offence in India and is subsequently believed to have absconded to a foreign country, a request can be made by the concerned police authorities etc. to the Interpol Wing of the CBI for publication of an 'A' series (red) notice against that person provided all the conditions are satisfied.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------The 'B' series notices are also called 'enquiry notices' and may be issued in order to have someone's identity verified; to obtain particulars of a person's criminal record; to locate someone who is missing or is an identified or unidentified international criminal or is wanted for a violation of ordinary criminal law and whose extradition may be requested.
If it is considered necessary to make a request for publication of a 'B' series (blue) notice against any person for any of the reasons mentioned above, the requesting authorities should furnish the detailed information mentioned in para 6 above. If the notice is required to be published in respect of a missing person, the detailed account of disappearance of that person should also be mentioned. Once the notice is considered to be no longer valid, Interpol Wing, CBI should be notified for issue of a cancellation notice.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------C Series (Green) NoticesThe purpose of 'C' series notices also called as 'Warning notices' is to give law enforcement agencies in member countries information about persons who have committed or are likely to commit offences affecting several countries and who might be on their territory.
For Interpol purposes, an international criminal is someone who is known in his country as a habitual offender and operating in different countries or who is known in at least two other countries. A request of publication of a 'C' series notice should be made only about important international criminals and not about every criminal who fits the above definition. The degree of gravity of the convictions and the nature of the offences committed should be assessed. It should also be considered whether the criminal is or may be a member of a gang of international criminals Green notices are not cancelled except in special circumstances or when the person concerned dies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The purpose of 'D' series notices is to circulate information about unidentified dead bodies or deceased persons who were probably using false identities.
A request for publication of a 'D' series notice must be accompanied by three copies of photographs of the entire body, and if possible, the fingerprints. It should also contain the date, place and circumstances of the recovery of the body; detailed descriptions of distinguishing features such as tattoos, scars, condition of teeth (with a dental chart, if possible), clothes and objects worn or carried by the victim, giving details of labels or trademarks, if any.
If the deceased person is identified or if the identification is no longer necessary, cancellation of the notice should be requested.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------These notices are published with a view to circulate information about stolen property or about objects found in circumstances which suggest that these may have been acquired illegally. Such objects may include cultural property i.e. idols, antiquities, paintings, etc.
Publication of an 'E' series notice should only be requested if the stolen property has considerable cultural and /or commercial value and it can be satisfactorily identified from a description or photograph or because it bears identification numbers or markings.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The purpose of modus operandi notices is to notify the NCBs and through them, their police forces and law enforcement agencies, of certain modus operandi, procedures and hiding places used by criminals and to centralize information at the General Secretariat about similar methods used in different parts of the world and then circulate this information to the NCBs.
The police departments and other law enforcement agencies should inform the Interpol Wing of any interesting methods used by criminals that come to their notice during their investigations. The modus operandi should be completely described and photographs should be sent, if they are useful.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A copy of each notice prototype is available at Interpol Global Communications System 24/7 installed at Interpol Wing, CBI.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Issued for groups and individuals who are the targets of UN sanctions against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
