Interpol activates global database to nab escapist Nirav Modi
BY TIOL News Service
LYON, JULY 02, 2018: ALTHOUGH several law enforcement agencies have issued Show Cause Notices to Mr Nirav Modi, but the alerts issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) appear to be grabbing the attention of international intelligence agencies. As per latest information, the France-headquartered Interpol has finally activates its global database which is available to immigration authorities of all its 192 member countries for arresting the fugitive diamantaire who is a prime accused in the Punjab National Bank scam.
In its Red Corner Notice issued against a fugitive, the Interpol asks its 192 member countries to arrest or detain the person if spotted in their countries after which extradition or deportation proceedings can begin. The Interpol has listed money laundering charges, levelled by Enforcement Directorate (ED), in the notice. Mr Modi along with his wife, brother and uncle, are all accused in the FIRs filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case. All of the accused had left the country in the first week of January, weeks before country's biggest banking scam surfaced. Mr Nirav Modi and his uncle Mr Mehul Choksi have refused to return India to join probe citing business and health reasons among others.
The CBI had tried to track the movements of Nirav Modi through a diffusion notice issued through the Interpol on February 15, but it had limited success as only the United Kingdom responded to the CBI request. Mr Nirav Modi managed to travel across several countries even after information about his passport being revoked by the Indian government was flashed in the Interpol central database on February 24, the CBI had earlier stated. The spokesperson for the agency, Mr Abhishek Dayal, stated that the agency had updated the information about the revokation of Mr Nirav Modi's passport by the Ministry of External Affairs. Such information had been made available to the Interpol central database.
Mr Dayal further mentioned that after the diffusion notice was issued by the Interpol on the request of the CBI, the agency followed it up with six countries where Nirav Modi was suspected to have fled. The agency requested these countries to share information about his whereabouts and movements. The agency sent these reminders to the Interpol coordination agency of the United Kingdom on April 25, May 22, May 24 and May 28. Similar reminders were also sent to the agencies of the US, Singapore, Belgium, the UAE and France.
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