INTERPOL's colour-coded notice system is the operational backbone of cross-border law enforcement, enabling 196 member countries to share critical alerts on persons, objects, and threats in near real-time.
INTERPOL issues eight categories of notices, each serving a distinct investigative or preventive purpose. They are not arrest warrants but function as internationally recognised requests for cooperation, carrying significant operational weight for border agencies and national police forces.
Purple Notices collect and disseminate information on criminal modus operandi, objects, devices, or concealment methods used by offenders — essentially building a shared criminal intelligence library. Orange Notices warn member states of an imminent serious threat to public safety from a person, object, or event, making them critical for counter-terrorism and disaster-prevention coordination.
Green Notices provide warnings about individuals with criminal convictions who are likely to reoffend across jurisdictions, aiding proactive policing. Black Notices seek information on unidentified human remains, supporting forensic investigations and humanitarian identification efforts.
India, as an active INTERPOL member, uses these notices through the Central Bureau of Investigation acting as the National Central Bureau. Governance challenges include potential misuse of Red and Green Notices for political persecution, prompting INTERPOL's Commission for the Control of Files to review disputed notices.
The notice system's effectiveness rests on the balance between operational urgency and safeguards against misuse. Strengthening review mechanisms while expanding data-sharing infrastructure remains essential for legitimate, rights-respecting international policing.
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