Silver Notice: Interpol’s New Weapon Against Organized Crime

Context

Transnational organized crime is a major global problem. Criminal networks amass vast wealth from illegal activities like fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, and more. However, a staggering 99% of criminal assets remain unrecovered, allowing these groups to continue their operations.

To address this, Interpol has introduced the Silver Notice—a specialized tool to locate and recover criminally acquired assets. This initiative aims to dismantle criminal networks by targeting their financial resources and enhancing international police cooperation.

What is the Silver Notice?

The Silver Notice is a new type of alert introduced by Interpol to help countries track and recover assets gained through criminal activities. It allows member countries to share and request information about these assets across borders.

Key Features:

• Purpose: Helps locate, identify, and gather information on criminal assets such as properties, vehicles, financial accounts, and businesses.
• Pilot Phase:
  • Involves 52 countries, including India.
  • Runs from 2023 to at least November 2025.
  • Participating countries can issue up to 500 Silver Notices and Diffusions, divided equally.
• Focus: Addresses crimes like fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, environmental crime, and more.

How it Works:

1. Requesting Information: Member countries can issue a Silver Notice to get information about criminally linked assets.
2. Review Process: Interpol’s General Secretariat reviews all requests to ensure they meet legal and ethical standards.
3. Confidentiality: Information shared through Silver Notices is not publicly available during the pilot phase.

Interpol Notices and Diffusions

Interpol uses Notices and Diffusions to help member countries share crime-related information.

Notices:

These are colour-coded alerts used for different purposes:

• Red Notice: International arrest warrant for fugitives.
• Yellow Notice: Helps find missing persons or identify those unable to identify themselves.
• Blue Notice: Gathers information about a person’s identity, location, or activities.
• Black Notice: Seeks details about unidentified bodies.
• Green Notice: Warns about people who pose a threat to public safety.
• Orange Notice: Alerts about threats from events, objects, or people.
• Purple Notice: Shares criminal methods and techniques.
• Interpol-UN Special Notice: Focuses on individuals under UN sanctions.
• Silver Notice: Tracks and recovers assets linked to criminal activities.

Diffusions:

• Similar to Notices but sent directly by countries to specific recipients rather than all members.
• Used to request information or cooperation for specific cases.

What is Interpol?

Interpol, short for International Criminal Police Organization, is an intergovernmental body that connects 196 member countries to combat international crime.

Quick Facts:

• Founded: 1923 (as International Criminal Police Commission).
• Headquarters: Lyon, France.
• India: Joined Interpol in 1949, with the CBI acting as its National Central Bureau.

How Interpol Works:

• Databases: Maintains 19 police databases with information on crimes, criminals, and stolen items, accessible to member countries in real time.
• Focus Areas: Tackles terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime.
• Governance: The General Assembly, consisting of representatives from all member countries, meets annually to make key decisions.

Why is the Silver Notice Important?

Key Reasons:

1. Tackling Financial Crime:

   • Criminals rely on illegal wealth to sustain their operations.
   • By recovering their assets, law enforcement disrupts their activities.

2. Enhancing Global Cooperation:

   • Member countries can work together to trace and recover stolen assets.

3. Addressing a Critical Gap:

   • 99% of criminal assets remain unrecovered, highlighting the need for focused efforts like the Silver Notice.

4. Reducing Global Impact:

   • Criminal networks harm societies through violence, corruption, and instability.
   • Removing their financial resources limits their ability to cause harm.

Conclusion

The Silver Notice is a groundbreaking tool in the fight against organized crime. By helping countries locate and recover criminal assets, it strengthens global security and disrupts illegal operations. Although still in its pilot phase, the Silver Notice demonstrates the importance of targeting financial gains to weaken criminal networks.

This initiative underscores Interpol’s commitment to fostering international cooperation and ensuring justice across borders.