What is Silver Notice?

• It is an INTERPOL initiative aimed at tracing, locating, and recovering criminal assets linked to crimes such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, and environmental offenses.
• Objective: It targets assets like properties, vehicles, financial accounts, and businesses that are connected to criminal activities.
• It was launched in 2023 as part of a pilot phase involving 52 countries, and this phase will run until November 2025.
• How does it work?

• • Member countries can request INTERPOL to issue a Silver Notice for assistance in gathering information about criminal assets.
  • The Notice is shared globally with all 196 INTERPOL member countries, while Diffusions can be directed to specific countries for more targeted cooperation.
  • All Silver Notices and Diffusions are reviewed by INTERPOL’s General Secretariat to ensure compliance with its rules, including prohibitions on political misuse as outlined in Article 3 of the INTERPOL Constitution.
  • The first-ever Silver Notice was requested by Italy to trace assets linked to a senior mafia member, showcasing its potential to combat organized crime.

• Establishment: Founded in 1923 in Vienna, now headquartered in Lyon, France, with 195 member countries.
• Mandate: Supports cross-border police cooperation, helping agencies combat international crime.
• India became a member of INTERPOL in June 1956.

Structural Mandate:

• Secretary General: Oversees daily operations.
• General Secretariat (Lyon): Manages global databases and police communication systems.
• Global Complex for Innovation (Singapore): Research, training, and cybercrime initiatives.
• Regional Bureaus: Satellite offices worldwide.
• National Central Bureaus (NCBs): Each member country, such as India’s CBI, serves as its national focal point for INTERPOL.
• I-24/7 Service: A secure global police communication system enabling real-time sharing of urgent and sensitive information.

• Data Sharing: Manages 19 police databases on crimes and criminals, accessible in real-time by member countries.
• Notices and Diffusions: Issues color-coded notices (e.g., Red, Yellow, Blue, Silver) to locate fugitives, missing persons, or criminal assets; not legally binding but widely used by law enforcement.

Operational Support:
– Investigative Assistance: Provides forensics, analysis, and fugitive-tracking support.
– Coordination: Enables law enforcement agencies to handle transnational crime efficiently.