INTERPOL media release 05 July 2010

INTERPOL-led operation to track international fugitives calls for public assistance

107 Fugitives arrested/located so far under Infra-Red 2010.

See list of wanted persons

LYON, France – The public is being asked to help provide information on fugitives targeted as part of an INTERPOL-led global operation which has already seen more than 100 internationally-wanted people arrested or located worldwide.

INTERPOL launched operation Infra-Red (International Fugitive Round-Up and Arrest – Red Notices) on 3 May targeting 450 fugitives worldwide wanted by, or believed to be located in, the 29 participating countries. They have all been convicted for, or are suspected of, committing serious offences which include murder, child sexual abuse, rape and drug trafficking.

The initial phase of the operation – co-ordinated by INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support (FIS) unit at the world police body’s General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon – saw investigators from all 29 participating countries and agencies, including Crime Stoppers International, gather at INTERPOL’s General Secretariat in order to directly share information on suspects across the globe, some of whom have been evading justice for many years.

Details of the wanted persons, their suspected locations and any other potentially identifying information was collated and analyzed and then sent to involved countries through INTERPOL’s global network of 188 National Central Bureaus for action.

To date, new information on more than 300 cases has been shared with INTERPOL on Infra-Red fugitives such as possible locations, travel document information, photographs, fingerprints and telephone numbers.

“The operation has been very successful in locating and arresting a large number of these targets, but what we are now left with are the cases were we have no new information on their whereabouts, which is why we are asking for the public to help,â€