In January 2025, INTERPOL introduced the Silver Notice, the latest addition to its suite of colour-coded alerts aimed at tracing and recovering criminal assets internationally. The first-ever Silver Notice was issued on 10 January 2025, at the request of Italy’s Guardia di Finanza in Palermo, targeting assets tied to a senior mafia figure.
The Silver Notice is part of a six-month pilot involving 52 countries, under which up to 500 Silver Notices and Diffusions may be issued collectively. This tool marks a global shift: from chasing fugitives to tracing illicit financial flows and recovering hidden assets.
What is an INTERPOL Notice?
INTERPOL is the International Criminal Police Organization, linking police forces across 196 member states. Its colour-coded notice system enables coordinated international investigations. These are not arrest warrants but broadcast alerts to request information or cooperation.
The nine notice types include:
- Red: Seek location/arrest for extradition
- Blue: Gather information on individuals under investigation
- Green: Warn authorities about criminals
- Yellow: Locate missing or unidentified persons
- Black: Identify deceased persons
- Orange: Warn of threats to public safety
- Purple: Detail criminal methods or modus operandi
- INTERPOL–UNSC Special: For individuals/entities under UN sanctions
- Silver: Identifies, traces, and seeks recovery of criminal assets
Why does it matter to India?
While the introduction of Silver Notices holds global importance, their implications for India are particularly profound, especially given that India (a pilot member) is one of only 52 participating countries, so it gains access to powerful global law enforcement channels:
Large diaspora fraud and asset concealment: Many high-profile fraudsters, including the likes of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, have funnelled illicit wealth abroad-making asset recovery a significant challenge.
Modernised exit routes: Fraudsters exploit shell companies, offshore accounts, cryptocurrencies, and real estate havens-making informal asset tracing ineffective. Silver Notices can trigger formal international cooperation.
Strategic enforcement: Silver notices will helpIndia to locate assets of criminals who have transferred their illicit wealth to tax havens and other countries thinking that it will never be traced or accounted for.
In essence, Silver Notices promises to reverse the “follow-the-fugitive” mindset, focusing instead on following the money, freezing overseas assets, and initiating recovery through mutual legal assistance.
How is India Using the Silver Notice?
As of now, India has issued two Silver Notices to locate and recover assets linked to financial fraud cases. The first was issued on 23 May 2025 against Shubham Shokeen, a former visa officer at the French Embassy in New Delhi, accused of running a multi-crore visa fraud scheme from 2019–2022. He allegedly took ₹15–45 lakh per visa and laundered the proceeds via shell companies to buy property in Dubai worth over ₹15.73 crore. Prior to this, CBI had issued a Blue Notice to help locate him.
The second Silver Notice followed just three days later, on 26 May, targeting Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal, who is accused of defrauding investors of ₹113 crores via a fake crypto-token “MTC”, and diverting the funds through offshore channels.
These back-to-back requests highlight India’s strategic use of the new mechanism—not as an experimental tool but as an active element in its transnational financial investigations.
Scope, Legal Status, and Practical Limits
- Non-binding but impactful: Silver Notices themselves do not compel countries to act; they do, however, provide a formal basis to initiate mutual legal assistance, asset freezing, and recovery proceedings.
- Dependent on local laws: Enforcement depends on the receiving country’s domestic laws and willingness. For example, the UAE isn’t legally required to enforce India’s request.
- Confidentiality and compliance: Notices are reviewed by INTERPOL’s General Secretariat and not published publicly. They are intended to comply with INTERPOL’s neutrality rules and human rights obligations.
What is the future of Silver Notices?
Silver Notices mark a powerful shift in global policing: they target financial infrastructure rather than just individuals. For India, this is particularly crucial. These notices help shut down escape routes by preventing criminals from shielding assets abroad. They enhance legal leverage by providing documentation and international legitimacy for recovery efforts. They also create deterrence by signalling that global enablers—such as shell firms, and crypto havens—will be actively pursued. With robust international cooperation, Silver Notices have the potential to evolve from symbolic diplomatic tools into actionable instruments against economic crime, particularly across Indian states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Punjab, which are notably vulnerable to cross-border financial fraud.
