Short Takes / Decoding Interpol notices

Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information about controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda who is believed to have fled the country after registration of a case in November for wrongful confinement and abduction of three children living in his ashram near Ahmedabad.

The details about the Blue Corner Notice were mentioned in the chargesheet filed by the Ahmedabad Rural Police in a local court on January 22.

While the police continue to look for him, reports emerged in December that he has created a nation, Kailaasa, with its own flag and political setup, on an island near Ecuador.

Interpol notice

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) is an inter-governmental organisation that has 194 member-countries.

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

Notices are published by the General Secretariat at the request of a National Central Bureau and are made available to all member-countries.

Most notices are for police use only and are not made available to the public. However, in some cases, for example to alert the public, or to request help from the public, an extract of the notice will be published online.

What are the different types of notices?

Red Notice: It is a kind of international arrest warrant for fugitives where Interpol requests its member-countries to arrest or detain them.

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

Blue Notice: It is issued to collect additional information from its member-countries about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies.

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

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

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

Interpol-UN Security Council Special Notice: Issued for groups and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.

Red Notices from India

As per available data, during 2016-19, as many as 27 accused persons were extradited / deported from foreign countries to India, based on Red Notice / Extradition requests made by Indian law enforcement agencies.

During 2016, 2017 and 2018, Red Notice requests sent to Interpol by the CBI were 91, 94 and 123 and notices published by the Interpol were 87, 84 and 76, respectively.

As on July 15, as many as 41 Red Notice requests have been sent to Interpol and 32 requests have been published in 2019.

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