Interpol Launches Anti-Corruption Operation in Moldova
By Kaila Hall
On June 6, 2024, Moldova arrested1 four interior ministry employees who allegedly allowed criminals to escape Red Notice arrest warrants by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). Moldova’s Interpol Chief has also been detained2 and indicted on a corruption charge. The officials are believed to have ties to an international criminal conspiracy with connections to cybercriminals in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Evidence3 suggests that the officials have accepted multi-million U.S. dollar bribes to harbor criminals in Moldova and protect them from Red Notices. The Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office ordered raids on 33 locations with the assistance of federal authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Spain. Law enforcement seized mobile phones, laptops, computers, and documents. These items will be examined during the criminal investigation. Further information will be provided surrounding these arrests, pending an additional criminal investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Chief Veronica Dragalin explained that the detained officials had “paid intermediaries and public figures in Moldova to inform wanted criminals of (their) Red Notice status.” She stated that the officials assisted wanted criminals to “obtain asylum or refugee status” in Moldova and elsewhere “with the aim of blocking and deleting” the notices by bribing public officials.4
On April 2, 2024, the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office opened a criminal case regarding this scandal, following an initial investigation from the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office. Prior to the case’s opening, INTERPOL provided information to French law enforcement regarding this matter. On June 4, 2024, Moldova’s Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office executed search warrants.5
According to INTERPOL’s Secretary General, Jürgen Stock, “over 70,000 people are subject to INTERPOL Red Notices.” Currently, there are nearly 7,000 Red Notices6 in circulation. INTERPOL releases Red Notice alerts to its 196 member states, requesting that “law enforcement worldwide locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.” It should be noted that a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country or international tribunal. Member states apply their laws when deciding whether to arrest a person.
INTERPOL Red Notices have received criticism7 in recent years. In 2018, French journalist Mathieu Martiniere and his colleague Robert Schmidt published an investigation into Interpol. They told AFP that “[INTERPOL’s] situation has improved, but more than a hundred innocent people still slip through the net every year and can be extradited and then imprisoned.” The Red Notice system has also been frequently accused of “being misused by member states to hunt down political dissidents.” This prompted Secretary General Jürgen Stock to create a task force, in 2014, of around 40 experts to validate notices prior to publication. In 2022, 1,465 of the nearly 71,000 notices were canceled before publication. The organization has faced additional controversy, especially with the election of Ahmed Naser al-Raisi as the President of INTERPOL in 2021. The Emirati general is currently under investigation8 in France for complicity in torture.
[1] “Moldova Arrests Officials for Helping Criminals Bypass Interpol Red Notices.” Www.occrp.org, www.occrp.org/en/daily/18785-moldova-arrests-officials-for-helping-criminals-bypass-interpol-red-notices.
[2] “Moldova’s Interpol Chief Charged with Corruption.” Www.euractiv.com, 8 June 2024, www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/moldovas-interpol-chief-charged-with-corruption/.
[3] “Search Warrants Executed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office in an International Joint Investigation | Procuratura Anticoruptie a Republicii Moldova.” Procuratura.md, 11 June 2024, procuratura.md/anticoruptie/comunicate/comunicate-de-presa/search-warrants-executed-anti-corruption-prosecution-office.
[4] “Interpol and FBI Break up a Cyber Scheme in Moldova to Get Asylum for Wanted Criminals.” AP News, 4 June 2024, apnews.com/article/interpol-fbi-moldova-red-notice-08755a95baae8edac2f9ccc9c4ad1775.
[5] “INTERPOL Action Leads to Anti-Corruption Operation in Moldova.” Www.interpol.int, www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2024/INTERPOL-action-leads-to-anti-corruption-operation-in-Moldova.
[6] “View Red Notices.” Www.interpol.int, www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/Red-Notices/View-Red-Notices.
[7] “Interpol Focuses on Abuse of Famous Red Notices as It Marks 100 Years.” France 24, 29 Nov. 2023, www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231129-interpol-fights-crime-and-controversial-image-100-years-on.
[8] “Emirati General Accused of Torture Appointed Head of Interpol.” France 24, 25 Nov. 2021, www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211125-emirati-general-accused-of-torture-appointed-head-of-interpol-police-agency.
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