An Interpol Red Notice: What Does it Mean? Are You at Risk?

Interpol Red Notice

When a person thinks they might have run afoul of the law it is not uncommon for their mind to wander a bit and believe the worst type of situation can and will occur, and they will be convicted of crimes such as tax evasion and money laundering, etc. They begin researching items such as non-extradition countries and what happens if they get caught at the airport by international police. Recently, we have been asked about the Interpol red notice and whether it is a real thing — and if it is used often against US Persons.  Let’s take a brief introductory look at what a red notice is, what it means, and whether you are really at any risk?

What is INTERPOL

By way of reference, Interpol refers to the International Criminal Police Organization. It is an organization comprised of nearly 200 countries that work together to try to catch the bad guys and gals across the globe — when an international crime is committed or a person is on the run moving between countries.

As provided by the Interpol website:

• • • The General Secretariat provides a range of expertise and services to our member countries. We manage 19 police databases with information on crimes and criminals (from names and fingerprints to stolen passports), accessible in real-time to countries.

    • We offer investigative support such as forensics, analysis, and assistance in locating fugitives around the world. Training is an important part of what we do in many areas so that officials know how to work efficiently with our services.

    • This expertise supports national efforts in combating crimes across three global areas we consider the most pressing today; terrorism, cybercrime and organized crime.

    • Officials working in each specialized crime area run a variety of different activities alongside member countries. This can be investigative support, field operations, training and networking.

    • Importantly, since crimes evolve, we keep an eye on the future through research and development in international crime and trends.

What is an Interpol Red Notice?

When a person is on the run in one country and the police seek to bring that person back to their own jurisdiction by way of extradition — they need a process to put other countries on notice and allow other countries and police organizations to be on alert that if they come across a particular individual(s) to contain them pending extradition — or other legal actions.

As provided by Interpol:

• • • A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.

    • The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.

    • The majority of Red Notices are restricted to law enforcement use only.

    • Extracts of Red Notices are published at the request of the member country concerned and where the public’s help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety.

Number of Red Notices in Circulation

Currently, the Interpol website provides that there are 7000+ public read notices in circulation.

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