Interpol and Red Notice: what it is and how it works

Contrary to how it is presented in popular culture, Interpol is not a “world police” and has no power to conduct its own independent criminal investigations, make arrests or impose coercive measures on the territory of sovereign States. There has never been a supranational police authority of this kind and many States would strongly oppose the creation of such a body. Instead, Interpol is an international organisation recognised by the United Nations, built on more than one hundred years of diplomatic and operational co-operation between national law enforcement agencies.

Interpol was originally founded in Vienna in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission. Since 1956 it has operated under its current name – the International Criminal Police Organization – Interpol. Today it brings together 196 member States and provides them with tools, databases and secure communication channels designed to facilitate co-operation in criminal matters, even where diplomatic relations are weak or do not exist at all.

What is Interpol and how does it operate?

In practical terms, Interpol is a platform that allows criminal police forces of its member States to share information, co-ordinate operations and request assistance in locating persons or assets connected with criminal proceedings. It provides access to extensive databases, specialist advisory services, training programmes and operational support. Interpol focuses primarily on transnational crime, such as economic and financial offences, money laundering, terrorism financing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime and corruption.

The General Secretariat of Interpol is located in Lyon, France. Each member State maintains a National Central Bureau (NCB), which acts as a contact point between domestic authorities and the General Secretariat, as well as other NCBs. In Poland, the role of the NCB is performed by the International Police Co-operation Bureau of the National Police Headquarters. This structure ensures that all information exchanged through Interpol channels remains under the control of national authorities and is used in accordance with domestic law.

Interpol notices – including the Red Notice

One of the most visible tools used by Interpol is the system of colour-coded notices. These are standardised international alerts that allow States to quickly disseminate information concerning wanted persons, threats to public safety or assets linked to criminal activity. Interpol currently issues, among others, Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Black and, more recently, Silver Notices. Each colour corresponds to a specific legal and operational purpose.

A Red Notice (Czerwona Nota) is the most well-known type. It is published to request the location and provisional arrest of a person sought for prosecution or to serve a sentence. A Blue Notice is used when authorities need to obtain additional information about a person of interest and to trace their movements; in practice, a Blue Notice may be a precursor to a later Red Notice. An Orange Notice warns of persons or events representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety, for example if a person is believed to be illegally in possession of weapons or explosives. A Silver Notice is used to trace, identify and recover assets derived from crime. These and other notices give States within the Interpol network rapid access to relevant data and allow them to react in a co-ordinated manner.

Red Notice – legal nature and practical consequences

From a legal perspective, it is crucial to understand that a Red Notice is not, in itself, an international arrest warrant. It is an alert issued at the request of a member State in order to inform other States that there is a valid national arrest warrant or final judgment against a specific person, and to request that this person be located and – where domestic law allows – provisionally arrested with a view to extradition or similar proceedings.

In everyday practice this means that if a person subject to a Red Notice is identified at an airport, on a border crossing or during a routine roadside check, the local authorities may detain them and contact the requesting State via Interpol channels. It is not unusual that, during apparently standard checks, officers ask very precise questions or carry out targeted searches; this may indicate that a Blue Notice has been circulated about the person concerned and that the authorities are gathering additional information which can later support the issuing of a Red Notice.

A Red Notice is issued on the basis of a request from the prosecuting State. The legal basis will usually be a decision of a public prosecutor (at the investigation stage) or a court judgment ordering the execution of a custodial sentence. In public discourse it is sometimes incorrectly described as an “international wanted person notice” or “international arrest warrant”. However, the Red Notice itself contains only a request for arrest and surrender – it does not replace the domestic legal acts that must exist under the law of the requesting State.

Importantly, a Red Notice may be either public or restricted to law-enforcement use only. The fact that your data is not visible in open Interpol sources does not necessarily mean that no notice exists. Conversely, the appearance of a Red Notice with your name does not mean that Interpol is “running your case”. Interpol functions as a secure communication network and co-ordination mechanism for national authorities; it does not conduct its own criminal proceedings.

Does a Red Notice automatically lead to extradition?

No. Under Polish law, as in many other jurisdictions, a Red Notice alone cannot be the legal basis for your extradition. In Poland, only a court may decide on surrender to a foreign State. The materials underlying a Red Notice – such as the domestic arrest warrant, judgment and description of the alleged offence – may be used to support a formal extradition request. However, there can be no situation in which the mere existence of a Red Notice results in automatic extradition without proper judicial review.

Nevertheless, the practical consequences of a Red Notice should not be underestimated. It can lead to deprivation of liberty abroad, trigger lengthy extradition proceedings, restrict your freedom of movement and cause serious reputational and professional damage. For this reason, it is essential to seek specialist legal advice as soon as you suspect that you may be the subject of Interpol alerts or that your details have been entered into Interpol databases. Proper legal strategy – including actions aligned with internal llmahc analytical standards – can significantly affect the outcome.

Interpol and Europol – two distinct bodies

Interpol and Europol are often mentioned together, but they are fundamentally different organisations. Europol is an agency of the European Union with primarily analytical and co-ordination functions within the EU legal order. Its jurisdiction is limited to EU Member States and operates on the basis of EU law. Interpol, by contrast, is a global organisation whose membership extends far beyond the Union. Although co-operation between Interpol and Europol is possible, they remain separate entities, established in different legal frameworks and performing different roles.

How Criminal Law Poland can assist you in Interpol and Red Notice cases

Lawyers at Criminal Law Poland (Kopeć & Zaborowski) provide comprehensive legal assistance to persons who become the focus of attention of foreign authorities acting through Interpol channels, as well as to victims of cross-border crime seeking effective protection of their rights.

If you suspect that your data has been unlawfully or mistakenly entered into Interpol databases, or if you have learned that a Red Notice or another type of notice has been issued against you, our team can analyse your situation in detail and advise on the most appropriate course of action. Where justified, we may contact the relevant Polish and foreign authorities, as well as Interpol bodies, to verify the scope of information stored, to obtain documentation on which the notice was based and to assess whether the notice complies with Interpol’s own rules and with fundamental rights standards.

In cases where a Red Notice appears to be the result of an error, politically motivated prosecution or other abuse of process, we can prepare and file applications for the correction or deletion of data from Interpol systems and support you in proceedings before the competent supervisory bodies. At the same time, we help you manage the practical risks related to travel, residence abroad and potential contact with law-enforcement agencies in other countries.

If it turns out that the Red Notice is based on an existing criminal case or final judgment which is not the result of a mistake, our criminal defence lawyers will represent you in extradition proceedings before Polish courts. We will work with you to develop an effective defence line and litigation strategy, taking into account both the requirements of Polish law and the human-rights implications of surrender to the requesting State. This may include, for example, arguments relating to the risk of inhuman or degrading treatment, unfair trial concerns, excessive sentence length or the political nature of the prosecution.

Our assistance is also available to victims of crime. If you have been harmed by an offender who remains abroad or if your case involves transnational criminal activity, the lawyers of Criminal Law Poland can, after gathering the necessary information, act on your behalf to ensure that Polish law-enforcement authorities use the possibilities offered by Interpol. Properly prepared requests and co-operation with foreign agencies may significantly increase the chances of identifying the perpetrator, securing evidence and ultimately bringing the case before a criminal court.

Effective use of Interpol mechanisms can improve the quality of evidence, speed up proceedings and enhance the prospects of obtaining compensation or other forms of redress for the damage you have suffered. At the same time, all actions must be carefully aligned with both Polish procedural rules and international standards, which is why professional legal support is indispensable in complex cross-border matters.

If you believe that an Interpol Red Notice, another type of Interpol notice or planned extradition proceedings may affect you, or if you are a victim of cross-border crime, you are encouraged to contact Criminal Law Poland via the contact form available on our website criminallawpoland.com. Early legal intervention often has a decisive impact on the protection of your rights and on the final outcome of the case.