Interpol is an international criminal police organization that brings together 196 member countries. Its main function is to coordinate international cooperation to effectively combat crime. To carry out its tasks, the organization uses various colour-coded notices depending on their goals and functions. These color-coded notices include the orange notice, green notice, blue notice, red notice and yellow notice.
One type of notice we’ll talk more about in this material is the Yellow Notice. So why is the Interpol yellow notice important, when is it issued and why do you need legal representation?
What is an Interpol Yellow Notice?
A yellow notice is a valuable law enforcement tool designed to enhance international coordination to locate missing persons. This global police alert helps law enforcement agencies to share critical information linked to missing individuals in different member states.
These interpol notices contain the following information:
- Passport information and last known whereabouts of the lost person;
- Description of appearance and all important distinguishing features (moles, scars, birthmarks, tattoos);
- Photos to aid in the search and identification of a missing person.
Information about missing or found individuals is shared through Interpol’s databases, accessible to all member countries of the organization. Thanks to this alert system, law enforcement agencies can quickly respond, check documents, and conduct investigations at both national and international levels. Countries can share information and join efforts to swiftly locate and return missing individuals.
Key functions of Yellow Notice
Among the primary purposes of Interpol’s yellow notices, the following should be highlighted:
- Searching for Missing Persons: Issuing an international alert for missing individuals (minors, people with cognitive impairments, or other vulnerable individuals who may need assistance in returning home. This valuable law enforcement tool is published for victims of criminal abductions, parental abductions, and unexplained disappearances.
- Facial identification: Used in situations where the individuals are unable to identify themselves due to memory loss or other reasons.
When is a Yellow Notice published?
Interpol’s Yellow Notice is used for the rapid dissemination of information about missing persons among law enforcement agencies in different countries. This type of global police alert is most commonly used in the following cases:
- The disappearance of a person who may be in danger often triggers the issuance of a Yellow Notice. This global police alert is commonly issued when the missing individual is believed to be at risk. For instance, in cases involving minors or individuals who require medical attention. If there’s suspicion that the person might have been a victim of a crime or is in urgent need of assistance, law enforcement agencies can reach out to Interpol to issue a Yellow Notice.
- The need for international visibility. If the person being sought may have left the country or there is a possibility, a Yellow Notice will draw the attention of law enforcement agencies from other countries to the search. That helps border officials to flag missing or abducted persons trying to leave the country.
- A Yellow Notice is issued at the request of the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) of the country where the disappearance was registered. Interpol acts as a platform for sharing information between countries to ensure rapid and coordinated data exchange.
If you or your loved ones are in need of international assistance to find a lost person, our law firm is ready to provide professional support. We’ll help you understand the process of filing a request for a Yellow Notice, and also offer legal support throughout all stages of working with law enforcement agencies. Reach out to us for consultations and assistance in dealing with complex international issues related to searching for missing individuals.
How do I report a missing person?
To file a missing person report with Interpol, you need to start by contacting your local police authority. Provide the police with as much information as possible about the missing individual:
- Full name and date of birth;
- Last known location;
- Description of appearance (height, weight, eye and hair color, presence of scars and tattoos);
- The last photo;
- The circumstances of the disappearance and all possible suspicions.
After that, the law will forward a request to the National Central Bureau, which acts as a liaison between your country and Interpol. It will then pass the collected data to the General Secretariat for further processing. Next, the General Secretariat will issue a yellow notice and distribute it among the member countries.
Preliminary report
When a person goes missing, you should contact your local police authorities to make the preliminary report, providing relevant information about the individual who has disappeared. This report serves as the foundation for an international search by Interpol.
In the initial report, you need to share critical information linked to the individual for law enforcement use, including:
- Personal Information: Full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and other important personal details.
- Photography for disseminating public messages and conducting checks.
- Description of appearance: height, weight, hair and eye color, presence of scars, tattoos, and other unique features;
- The last known location where the said person was last seen;
- Description of the circumstances surrounding the disappearances;
- Contact information for quick communication and exchange of operational data.
After the initial report is filed, the police will begin an investigation and search for the person. If there’s reason to believe that the individual may have crossed the border or is in another country, local police authority can reach out to Interpol to issue a Yellow Notice, which will aid in the international search.
National Central Bureau (NCB)
The Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) is a key link that connects a country’s national law enforcement agencies with the international network of Interpol. An NCB exists in every Interpol member country and serves as a contact point for exchanging information between countries on issues of international crime, searching for individuals, and law enforcement. Through the NCB, national agencies can initiate international searches, including issuing yellow notices for missing persons.
The Role of NCB in the Process of Filing a Missing Person’s Report
When someone goes missing, the local police authority are the first to start search operations. If there’s evidence that the person in question has left the country, the police will reach out to the National Central Bureau of Interpol for further action. The NCB acts as a mediator between national law enforcement agencies and Interpol.
The NCB collects and sends data to Interpol to spread information about a missing individual among all member countries of the organization. After that, Interpol issues a Yellow Notice, which helps coordinate efforts on an international level to find the missing individual.
The procedure for submitting a request to the NCB goes as follows:
- Gathering information about a missing person from local police authority or the individuals reporting the disappearance;
- Transfer of the collected information to Interpol for verification and further dissemination;
- Issuing a yellow notice to initiate an international search.
Our law firm is ready to assist you in preparing the necessary documents and ensuring proper legal support throughout this process. Reach out to us for consultations and support in addressing such important matters.
Filing with Interpol
After gathering information from local police authorities, the National Central Bureau submits an official request to Interpol.
The NCB submits a request to the INTERPOL General Secretariat through the secure I-24/7 information system. The request includes all necessary information to help locate missing persons, specifically a description of their appearance, their last known location, and any circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
Interpol considers a range of criteria before deciding to issue a yellow notice:
- The presence of a threat to the missing person
- Confirmation of the fact that a person of interest has crossed the border.
- Detailed information about the missing person.
Improving search efforts
The publication of an Interpol Yellow Notice significantly enhances the effectiveness of efforts to find missing persons due to the following factors:
- Access to an international database for sharing operational information;
- Activating the mechanism for international cooperation to coordinate search efforts (interviewing witnesses, checking surveillance cameras, monitoring bank transactions, or tracking a person’s movements through international checkpoints);
- Real-time interaction to speed up the search process;
- Pooling the resources, methods, and search tools of Interpol member countries to enhance search efficiency.
International coordination plays a key role in searching for missing persons. If the missing individual is abroad, national searches may be limited, and working with law enforcement agencies from other countries becomes crucial.
If you’re dealing with a situation where a loved one has gone missing and you need help initiating an international search through Interpol’s Yellow Notice, our law firm is ready to provide expert support. Reach out to our specialists for legal advice and assistance in resolving your situation.
Can yellow cards be issued unfairly?
Just like any other alert system, yellow notifications can be issued in violation of procedures:
- A yellow alert can be issued based on false or unreliable information.
- Risk of politically motivated use of yellow notices;
- Abuse by applicants who may file a missing person report to pressure the individual who has disappeared, without any real basis for an international search;
- Violation of international standards and Interpol rules when the request did not undergo proper verification.
If a yellow notice was issued unfairly or with procedural violations, the individual has the right to file a complaint with the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF). This body is responsible for reviewing such complaints and has the authority to cancel or delete the notice if it was issued improperly. For a successful appeal, it’s important to gather evidence proving that the yellow notice was unjustly issued.
How can our Interpol lawyers help?
If you or your loved ones have been victims of the improper use of this tool, it’s important to take the necessary steps to protect your rights. Our law firm is ready to provide professional support and help you contest an unfair yellow notice.
Our team of qualified attorneys is ready to offer clients the following range of services:
- Detailed consultations on gathering the necessary evidence and preparing a request for an international search;
- Appealing an improper yellow notice through the CCF Commission;
- Legal support and assistance throughout the entire process of international search;
- Defending human rights in cases where a yellow notice has been issued for political reasons or due to abuse.
If you need advice or support on issues related to Interpol’s yellow notices, please reach out to our lawyers. We’ll provide reliable protection for your rights and help you navigate through complex issues in the international legal arena.