HomeINTERPOL cannot make arrests — it has no police powers whatsoever. INTERPOL is an international coordination organization, not a law enforcement agency. All arrests based on INTERPOL notices are made by national police forces acting under their own national laws. INTERPOL’s role is to issue notices, share intelligence, and coordinate — never to arrest, detain, or prosecute anyone directly.
How INTERPOL Facilitates Arrests — The Legal Mechanism
While INTERPOL itself cannot arrest anyone, its notices create the legal mechanism for national police forces to act. Here is how the process works in practice:
- Member country submits a notice request — a national police force submits a request to INTERPOL’s General Secretariat in Lyon, requesting publication of a Red Notice or Diffusion
- INTERPOL reviews and publishes — after compliance review, the notice is circulated to all 195 member states via the I-24/7 secure communications network
- National police receives the alert — when a wanted person travels or is identified, border police scan their passport and see the active notice
- National law governs what happens next — each country decides independently whether to arrest, detain, or notify the requesting country. Some countries routinely arrest on Red Notices; others treat them as intelligence only
- Extradition proceedings begin — if arrested, the person is held pending formal extradition proceedings under the bilateral treaty or other applicable law
This means the legal fight against a Red Notice must be conducted at two levels simultaneously: before INTERPOL’s CCF (to remove the notice from the global system) and in the national courts of the country where arrest occurred (to challenge the extradition).
Challenging a Red Notice: Your Legal Options
Even though INTERPOL has no arrest powers, the consequences of a Red Notice are very real — travel restrictions, asset freezes, reputational damage, and the risk of detention in any of 195 countries. The good news is that Red Notices can be challenged and removed.
The primary legal routes are:
- CCF Challenge — file a formal request with INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of Files to have the notice deleted on grounds of political motivation, non-compliance with INTERPOL’s rules, or human rights violations
- Preventive Request — if charges are pending but no notice has been issued yet, proactively file with the CCF to block a future notice
- Extradition defence — challenge the extradition request in the courts of the country where you are located
Intercollegium’s lawyers have successfully removed over 100 Red Notices through the CCF. Free consultation: +357 96 447475
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