Interpol issues Red Notices for arrest of Gupta brothers

South Africa has obtained Interpol-issued Red Notices for two Gupta brothers wanted in the country on charges of money laundering.

The notices were obtained for Rajesh and Atul Gupta, Hermione Cronje, head of South Africa’s Investigating Directorate, said by phone on Monday. Interpol approved the notices last month and then had to take other steps to clear them, she said.

“We received confirmation of them today,” Cronje said.

The Gupta brothers have fought the application of the Red Notices on the basis that they are victims of a political witch hunt in South Africa.

Interpol’s website explains that a Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.

It contains two main types of information:

• Information to identify the wanted person, such as their name, date of birth, nationality, hair and eye colour, photographs, and fingerprints, if available; and
• Information related to the crime they are wanted for.

“Red Notices are published by Interpol at the request of a member country, and must comply with Interpol’s constitution and rules. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. A Red Notice is an international wanted persons notice, but it is not an arrest warrant,” the website explains.

In 2021, Interpol issued 10 776 Red Notices. They are used to alert police in all member countries simultaneously about internationally wanted fugitives. Police in other countries can then be on the watch for them and use the Red Notice to support extradition proceedings.  — S’thembile Cele, (c) 2022 Bloomberg LP, with additional reporting (c) 2022 NewsCentral Media