Current:Home > InvestOfficials accused of trying to sabotage Interpol's Red Notice system to tip off international fugitives-LoTradeCoin
Officials accused of trying to sabotage Interpol's Red Notice system to tip off international fugitives
View Date:2024-12-23 20:05:46
A multinational operation by Interpol and the FBI cracked down on attempts in Moldova to sabotage one of the international police agency's key tools, the Red Notice system, officials said Tuesday. Four people were detained in the eastern European country.
Agence France-Presse reports all four were interior ministry employees in Moldova.
The joint sting, which also involved cooperation with French and British authorities, uncovered an international criminal organization with ties to individuals in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus suspected of cybercrime, Moldova's anticorruption chief said.
The suspected individuals "paid intermediaries and public figures in Moldova to inform wanted criminals of (their) Red Notice status," Veronica Dragalin, the anticorruption chief, told reporters.
The notice flags people deemed fugitives to law enforcement worldwide and is one of Interpol's most important tools. The investigation led to the detention of four people for 72 hours on suspicion of interfering with the notices, Dragalin said.
The scheme sought to have people subject to Red Notices "obtain asylum or refugee status" in Moldova and other countries "with the aim of blocking and deleting" the notices by bribing public officials, she added.
The sums of money involved, she said, amount to several million dollars.
Security forces seized digital devices, documents and other objects for analysis, France's financial crimes prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert said in a statement.
Interpol said the operation by the international policing agency, headquartered in Lyon, France, followed the detection of attempts to "block and delete" the notices, which flag people deemed fugitives to law enforcement worldwide.
Moldova opened an investigation on April 2, after receiving information from France's National Financial Prosecutor's Office, and subsequently requested the assistance of the FBI.
"We are committed to fighting high-level corruption in all of its forms, particularly those schemes that put in jeopardy criminal investigations worldwide," Dragalin said.
A statement from Interpol said the agency has taken steps to prevent further "misuse of its systems."
"Our robust monitoring systems identified suspicious activity," said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock. "We took immediate action, including reporting the issue to law enforcement authorities in our host country France."
Stock highlighted the vast number of individuals subject to Red Notices — over 70,000 people — but did not elaborate on the attempted sabotage.
When reached by The Associated Press, Interpol said because it was a Moldovan-French probe, it would not be appropriate for the agency to elaborate on an ongoing investigation.
"60 Minutes" reported earlier this year that a number of Interpol's 196 member countries have abused red notices, using fabricated charges to try and locate, detain and extradite people they want to get their hands on, such as political dissidents or innocent people who've angered powerful officials. While each red notice is vetted to ensure it doesn't violate rules forbidding the use of Interpol for political, religious or racial persecution, the vetting is not foolproof.
AFP contributed to this report.
- In:
- FBI
- Escaped Prisoner
- Crime
veryGood! (33916)
Related
- Biden, Harris participate in Veterans Day ceremony | The Excerpt
- Tropical weather brings record rainfall. Experts share how to stay safe in floods.
- USA's Quincy Hall wins gold medal in men’s 400 meters with spectacular finish
- 3 years after the NFL added a 17th game, the push for an 18th gets stronger
- After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
- Plunge Into These Olympic Artistic Swimmers’ Hair and Makeup Secrets
- Boxer Lin Yu-Ting, targeted in gender eligibility controversy, to fight for gold
- Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
- 3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
- How breaking emerged from battles in the burning Bronx to the Paris Olympics stage
Ranking
- Kim Kardashian Says She's Raising Her and Kanye West's 4 Kids By Herself
- High-profile former North Dakota lawmaker to plead guilty in court to traveling for sex with a minor
- Horoscopes Today, August 7, 2024
- New York City plaques honoring author Anaïs Nin and rock venue Fillmore East stolen for scrap metal
- 4 charged in Detroit street shooting that left 2 dead, 5 wounded
- Romania Appeals Gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea's Score After Jordan Chiles' Medal-Winning Inquiry
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
- Video shows dog chewing cellphone battery pack, igniting fire in Oklahoma home
Recommendation
-
2 more escaped monkeys recaptured and enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in South Carolina
-
Bet365 ordered to refund $519K to customers who it paid less than they were entitled on sports bets
-
Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
-
RFK Jr. grilled again about moving to California while listing New York address on ballot petition
-
Infowars auction could determine whether Alex Jones is kicked off its platforms
-
Colin Farrell Details Son James' Battle With Rare Neurogenetic Disorder
-
Census categories misrepresent the ‘street race’ of Latinos, Afro Latinos, report says
-
What polling shows about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ new running mate