Today’s post concludes our series on INTERPOL’s CCF’s 2024 Activity Report. Our first post in this series explored how the CCF’s delays are problematic for notice subjects, NCBs, and INTERPOL itself. Today’s post will explain why. 

What is a Red Notice (vs other INTERPOL Notices)

As stated here, a Red Notice is a request issued by INTERPOL to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition or similar legal proceedings. It is issued based on requests from member countries and usually involves serious criminal allegations. Other notices, with different uses, have different effects. For example, a yellow notice is used to locate missing persons; a black notice is to seek information on unidentified bodies; and a green notice is to notify other member countries that a person has committed certain crimes previously. Red Notices specifically come with their own set of challenges. 

The Personal and Professional Impact

  • Legal Complications: The involvement in legal proceedings associated with a Red Notice can be complex and costly. The inability to travel freely can hinder legal defense efforts, as individuals may face challenges in attending court hearings or meetings with legal representatives.
  • Economic Impact: Travel restrictions can lead to financial loss, particularly for those who rely on international travel for business or employment. The costs lost opportunities and disrupted plans can be substantial. Additionally, as stated in a previous post, banks and financial institutions utilize a variety of companies that provide personal data lists of those who are politically exposed, wanted for financial crimes, or listed by governmental agencies as prohibited business partners. If a country holds outdated information on a previous Notice subject, or INTERPOL’s CCF is experiencing delays, those financial agencies are more likely to treat the individual as an active Notice subject.
  • Psychological Strain: The stress of dealing with legal issues, coupled with the loss of travel privileges, can have a significant psychological impact. The uncertainty and disruption can affect mental well-being and overall quality of life.
  • Reputational Damage: The public nature of a Red Notice can lead to reputational damage. Even if the individual is later exonerated, the negative publicity and perceived association with serious criminal activity can have long-lasting effects on personal and professional relationships.

When requests for relief are delayed, the real effect of Red Notices on their subjects are also exacerbated. As the CCF receives more requests each year without additional resources, those people with improper notices are left facing difficulties listed above for as long as the delays last. It is clear from the 2024 CCF report that he organization was previously publishing more notices each year without being provided sufficient resources for the increase in request to the CCF for access, deletion, and revision.

 The CCF has been transparent about delays, though. It reported that 70 percent of access requests and 30 percent of complaints were processed late in 2024. Due to the delays, the Commission obtained new resources to provide for additional staff, additional paid days for CCF members, and dedicated resources to implement new IT tools. This should lead to an organization equipped for change. 

As always, thoughts and comments are welcomed.