Interpol’s Hong Kong meeting to consider ‘silver notice’ targeting criminal assets

Interpol officials will propose a new "silver notice" system during its annual general assembly in Hong Kong next month to target criminals' assets and expedite investigations into transnational crime. Hong Kong's police chief, Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming, emphasized financial investigations and scams as top priorities during discussions with international counterparts at the event, which the city is hosting for the first time.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza revealed that the organization aims to pass a resolution on the silver notice system. The system, tested for two years, would identify and seize financial assets belonging to criminals, potentially preventing them from reorganizing their enterprises and recruiting new members during investigations.

The silver notice would complement Interpol's existing color-coded notice system, which facilitates international cooperation on arrests, information sharing, and requests for cooperation.

Urquiza highlighted the growing severity of global fraud trends, with Interpol reporting a 55% increase in cases last year. He stressed the importance of maintaining open technical channels for data exchange among member states to ensure effective law enforcement cooperation despite geopolitical tensions. Hong Kong's police chief expressed a commitment to building partnerships with international forces, particularly focusing on combating financial crimes and scams, which accounted for half of the city's reported crimes last month.