Interpol notice

An INTERPOL notice is an international request for cooperation or alert issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to communicate information about crimes, criminals, or threats. Notices are used by law enforcement agencies across INTERPOL's 195 member countries to help track fugitives, share intelligence, and ensure cross-border coordination in criminal investigations.

INTERPOL notices are color-coded, each color representing a different type of alert or request. They are not arrest warrants in themselves but serve as formal channels for sharing information across jurisdictions. The most well-known type is the Red Notice, which requests the provisional arrest of a wanted person pending extradition.

INTERPOL issues several types of notices, including:

• Red Notice – To seek the location and arrest of a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence (most similar to an international wanted poster).
• Blue Notice – To collect information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a crime.
• Green Notice – To warn about a person’s criminal activities, usually if they pose a threat to public safety.
• Yellow Notice – To help locate missing persons, often minors, or identify people unable to identify themselves.
• Black Notice – To seek information on unidentified bodies.
• Orange Notice – To warn of an event, object, or person posing a potential threat, such as hidden weapons or disguised explosives.
• Purple Notice – To provide information about a specific modus operandi, object, or concealment method used in crimes.
• Interpol-United Nations Security Council Special Notice – Issued for individuals or groups subject to UN sanctions, particularly related to terrorism.

INTERPOL notices do not carry the force of international law and cannot compel a country to make an arrest. Each member country must decide whether to act on a notice according to its own national laws and legal procedures. For example, some countries treat a Red Notice as sufficient grounds for arrest, while others require a court-issued warrant.

Notices are circulated through INTERPOL’s secure global police communications system, I-24/7. Some notices, especially Red and Yellow Notices, may be made publicly available on INTERPOL’s official website, while others remain confidential and accessible only to law enforcement.

INTERPOL notices, particularly Red Notices, have faced criticism for alleged abuse by authoritarian regimes seeking to target political opponents or dissidents abroad. In response, INTERPOL has implemented review mechanisms to assess the validity of notices and prevent politically motivated misuse.