Why this matters now
Interpol is tested for: founded 7 SEPT 1923 VIENNA as International Criminal Police Commission by Austrian Police Director Johann Schober; collapsed during WWII (1938 Nazi takeover); reestablished 1946 Brussels; renamed INTERPOL 1956; HQ Lyon France since 1989 (previously Paris); 196 member countries; President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi (UAE, 2021-); Sec-Gen Jurgen Stock (Germany, 2014-); India joined 1949 — CBI is India’s NCB National Central Bureau; I-24/7 secure global police communications network; 90th INTERPOL General Assembly hosted by India in NEW DELHI 18-21 Oct 2022 (PM Modi inaugurated; first GA hosted by India in 25 years); Bharat NCB Interpol Liaison Officer programme; recent India focus: Vijay Mallya + Nirav Modi + Mehul Choksi Red Notices.
8 Interpol Notice types
| Notice | Colour | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Red Notice | Red | Locate + provisionally arrest person pending extradition. Not an arrest warrant. |
| Blue Notice | Blue | Collect additional info on person. |
| Green Notice | Green | Warn about person likely to commit crime. |
| Yellow Notice | Yellow | Locate missing person (often minor) or unidentified. |
| Black Notice | Black | Seek info on unidentified body. |
| Orange Notice | Orange | Warn of imminent threat (event, bomb). |
| Purple Notice | Purple | Provide info on modus operandi. |
| UN Security Council Special Notice | UN logo | UN sanctions list (al-Qaeda, ISIL). |
Diffusions are direct member-to-member notices, less formal than Red Notices.
India & Interpol
- India joined Interpol 1949.
- CBI is India’s National Central Bureau (NCB) — channel for all Interpol communication.
- 90th INTERPOL General Assembly hosted by India 18-21 Oct 2022 New Delhi — PM Modi inaugurated; first hosting in 25 years since 1997.
- Bharatpol Portal launched 7 Jan 2025 — CBI’s national platform connecting state police to Interpol I-24/7 (replacing the manual letter-rogatory process for many requests).
- India seeks Red Notices for Indian economic offenders abroad — Vijay Mallya (UK), Nirav Modi (UK), Mehul Choksi (Antigua).
- India is in Interpol’s Project Sky + various cybercrime task forces.
Structure
- General Assembly — annual; supreme body; one vote per country.
- Executive Committee — 13 members; President 4-yr term.
- General Secretariat — Lyon HQ + 6 regional bureaux + UN representation New York/Brussels.
- National Central Bureaux (NCBs) — one per member country (CBI for India).
- Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) — data protection oversight; can review/quash a Red Notice if politically motivated.
UPSC angle
Know INTERPOL ICPO International Criminal Police Organization — FOUNDED 7 SEPT 1923 VIENNA as International Criminal Police Commission by Austrian Police Director JOHANN SCHOBER; collapsed during WWII 1938 Nazi takeover; REESTABLISHED 1946 BRUSSELS; renamed INTERPOL 1956; HQ LYON FRANCE SINCE 1989 (previously Paris); 196 MEMBER COUNTRIES; PRESIDENT AHMED NASER AL-RAISI UAE 2021-; SEC-GEN JURGEN STOCK Germany 2014-; INDIA JOINED 1949 CBI is India’s NCB NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAU; I-24/7 secure global police communications network; 90TH INTERPOL GENERAL ASSEMBLY hosted by India in NEW DELHI 18-21 OCT 2022 PM MODI inaugurated first GA hosted by India in 25 years (since 1997); BHARATPOL PORTAL launched 7 Jan 2025 CBI national platform connecting state police to Interpol I-24/7; 8 NOTICES: RED (locate + provisionally arrest pending extradition NOT AN ARREST WARRANT), BLUE (collect info), GREEN (warn about person likely to commit crime), YELLOW (locate missing person often minor or unidentified), BLACK (info on unidentified body), ORANGE (warn imminent threat event bomb), PURPLE (info on modus operandi), UN SECURITY COUNCIL SPECIAL (UN sanctions list al-Qaeda ISIL); DIFFUSIONS direct member-to-member less formal than Red Notices; India seeks Red Notices for ECONOMIC OFFENDERS VIJAY MALLYA UK + NIRAV MODI UK + MEHUL CHOKSI ANTIGUA; STRUCTURE General Assembly annual + Executive Committee 13 + General Secretariat Lyon + 6 regional bureaux + NCBs one per country; COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF INTERPOL FILES CCF data protection oversight can review/quash Red Notice if politically motivated.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Red Notice an arrest warrant?
No. A Red Notice is a request to locate + provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. The receiving country’s laws determine whether to act on it. The Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) can quash politically-motivated Red Notices.
What is India’s National Central Bureau for Interpol?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — channel for all Interpol communications. The Director of CBI is by default the head of India’s NCB.
When did India host the Interpol General Assembly?
The 90th Interpol General Assembly was hosted by India in New Delhi from 18 to 21 October 2022. PM Modi inaugurated it — first time India hosted in 25 years.
What is Bharatpol?
CBI’s national portal launched 7 January 2025 — connects all Indian state police forces directly to Interpol’s I-24/7 system. Replaces the slow manual letter-rogatory process for many international requests.