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Interpol issues its first Silver Notice to trace criminal assets on Italy’s request
The silver notice is the newest addition to the Interpol’s suite of colour-coded notices and diffusions, which enable countries to share alerts and requests for information worldwide
Interpol has issued its first-ever Silver Notice to help trace and recover criminal assets, combat transnational organised crime and enhance international police cooperation, the global police organisation said in a statement on Friday.
The first-ever Silver Notice request was given by Italy (Guardia di Finanza in Palermo), and it seeks information on the assets belonging to a senior member of the mafia there.
The Silver Notice is the newest addition to Interpol’s suite of colour-coded notices and diffusions, which enable countries to share alerts and requests for information worldwide.
It is being launched as part of a pilot phase involving 52 countries and territories, which will run at least until November 2025.
India is also one of the 52 countries taking part in the first phase.
Officials in New Delhi, who didn’t want to be named, said “Several wanted persons have their assets abroad and Silver notices will help us trace them”.
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So far, India has not made any request for issuing a silver notice.
Sharing further utility of silver notices and diffusions, Interpol statement said - “Member countries can request information on assets linked to a person’s criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, environmental crime and other serious offenses. It will facilitate locating, identifying, and obtaining information about laundered assets including properties, vehicles, financial accounts and businesses.”
“Countries may subsequently use such information as a basis for bilateral engagement, including bilateral requests for seizure, confiscation or recovery of assets, subject to national laws,” said Interpol.
“Stripping criminals and their networks of illegal profits is one of the most powerful ways to fight transnational organized crime, especially considering that 99 per cent of criminal assets remain unrecovered. By targeting their financial gains, INTERPOL is working to disrupt criminal networks and reduce their harmful impact on communities worldwide”, Valdecy Urquiza, Interpol Secretary General said in a statement.
The Silver Notice was first discussed in Interpol’s 91st General Assembly, held in Vienna, Austria.
While notices are shared with all 196 member countries, diffusions may be directed to selected relevant countries.
Interpol said that 52 participating countries will be able to collectively request up to 500 Silver Notices and Silver Diffusions, with the total divided equally among all participating countries.
Other countries in the group include China, Brazil, the UK, the US, Australia, the UAE, Sweden, among others.
Other notices of Interpol include - Red notice - to locate a fugitive; yellow notices for missing persons, blue notice for information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation; Black notice to seek information on unidentified bodies, green notice to provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, Orange notice to warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety and purple notice to seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.
