NEW DELHI: Interpol issued its first-ever ‘Silver Notice’, an innovative measure aimed at tracking down laundered assets across international borders. This pilot project involves 52 countries, including India, which has around a dozen fugitive economic offenders and a substantial amount of black money transferred offshore.
The ‘Silver Notice’ was issued at the request of Italy, which sought information on assets linked to a senior mafia member. Officials explained that the notice was designed to help countries share alerts and request information globally, enabling them to locate, identify, and seize assets linked to criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, environmental crime, and drug trafficking.
“This notice will facilitate bilateral engagement, including requests for asset seizure, confiscation, or recovery, under national laws. Interpol’s general secretariat will review every ‘Silver Notice’ and diffusion for compliance with Interpol’s rules, ensuring they are not used for political purposes. During the pilot phase, extracts of ‘Silver Notices’ will not be published on Interpol’s website,” an officer said.
The project will run at least until November this year, with roughly 500 notices available for distribution among participating countries. India is expected to benefit significantly from this initiative, as it will help locate assets of criminals who transferred illicit wealth to tax havens.
Under the notices, countries can request information about assets linked to criminal activities. It will assist in locating, identifying, and obtaining information on laundered assets, including properties, vehicles, financial accounts, and businesses.
The Lyon-based Interpol operates eight types of colour-coded notices, which enable member countries to request specific types of information.
The Red Notice seeks the location and arrest of individuals wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
The Yellow Notice focuses on locating missing persons, often minors, or identifying individuals who are unable to identify themselves.
