Interpol is launching a new mechanism designed to assist law enforcement in locating hidden criminal assets, and an Italian crime boss was among the first targets to be impacted by the system.
The “Silver Notice” allows the international policing organization’s 196 member countries to coordinate and share alerts when searching for illicit wealth, including cash, cryptocurrency, vehicles, real estate, and other assets hidden by criminals.
Interpol reports that, historically, criminals have successfully retained approximately 99% of their illegal proceeds. The new alert system, which has been in a trial phase since January 2025, aims to help police trace and recover a larger portion of these funds.
Nicholas Court, director of task force coordination at Interpol, stated that 82 countries participating in the pilot program have already identified at least €36 million ($41 million) in criminal assets.
“Over time, the hope is that 36 million grows significantly and we start moving the needle and taking more of the money away from criminals by helping our countries to find out where they’ve stashed their illicit wealth,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press at the police agency’s headquarters in Lyon, France.
This notice facilitates cooperation between police forces to ensure that recovered illicit funds are returned to the appropriate jurisdiction, Court explained.
“In really simple terms it enables law enforcement officials who are looking for criminal money to send a message to the rest of the world that says: ‘This person, this criminal, is worth this amount of money and we want to know where their assets are. We want to know if you, in other countries, can find their cars, their boats, their cash, their livestock, and can respond to us’,” he told the AP.
Interpol noted that the first silver notice circulated to members in January of last year was requested by Italy, which sought information regarding assets held by a high-ranking mafia figure.
“The Italians knew that this criminal was worth a huge amount of money. But they also knew that most of his money was not in Italy. So they sent a silver notice to all Interpol member countries and within a few days, Brazil responded,” Court said.
“Brazil searched their databases and they were able to find numerous assets that were in the name of the criminal, in the name of associates of the criminal, related to property, to apartments, even to livestock,” he said.
“So Brazil and Italy are now talking to each other in order to get the assets back from Brazil to Italy,” he added.
Member nations are expected to formally approve the full implementation of the tool during Interpol’s general assembly, which is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong this November.
The most recognizable of Interpol’s existing color-coded alert systems is the “Red Notice,” which member countries utilize to notify one another when searching for individuals suspected of serious crimes.
The new silver version represents the first down Interpol loot tool track
