Silver Notice ‘more effective’ than MLATs: CBI Director

Sub: Polity

Sec : National Body

Context :-

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, Praveen Sood, has highlighted the significance of the newly introduced Interpol ‘Silver Notice’ as a more effective tool for tracing illicit assets across borders compared to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT).
The Silver Notice is the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who proposed the idea in 2015, and it has now been realized.
The proposal took concrete form during the 2022 Interpol General Assembly hosted by India, where it was adopted as the first resolution.

What is the Silver Notice?

The Silver Notice is the latest addition to Interpol’s suite of colour-coded notices, aimed explicitly at locating assets laundered across international borders.
It facilitates the sharing of critical information and alerts among member countries to trace and recover illicit wealth more efficiently
This development is seen as a significant advancement in combating global financial crimes and enhancing international cooperation.

About Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT)

MLATs are formal agreements between two or more countries that enable them to cooperate in criminal matters, such as:

Information Exchange: Sharing data relevant to investigations and prosecutions.
Asset Tracing: Locating and identifying illicit assets.
Evidence Gathering: Providing evidence for judicial proceedings.

Limitations of MLATs:

Delays: Requests often take time to process as they pass through multiple channels.
Bureaucratic Hurdles: Coordination between different agencies can lead to inefficiencies.
Overload: A large number of requests may slow response times.

India has MLATs with 45 countries, according to data on the Ministry of Home Affairs website.

Interpol Notices

Interpol issues eight colour-coded notices and diffusions to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation:

Red Notice: Seeks the location and arrest of a person wanted for extradition.
Blue Notice: Requests information about a person’s identity, location, or activities.
Green Notice: Warns about criminal activities of a person that may pose a threat.
Yellow Notice: Aids in locating missing persons or identifying those unable to identify themselves.
Black Notice: Seeks information on unidentified bodies.
Orange Notice: Warns of imminent threats, such as weapons or disguised parcels.
Purple Notice: Provides information on criminal methods, operations, or objects.
Silver Notice: Focuses on tracing and recovering illicit assets laundered across borders.