Part X - INTERPOL - Police Functioning Demystified

Continued from Part IX https://cvshreejeev.wixsite.com/website/post/part-ix-how-do-cases-come-to-cbi-for-investigation-police-functioning-demystified

Interpol

It is an International Police Organisation headquartered in Lyon, France. They have a presence in 194 member countries including India, and one branch of the Central Police Organisations of each of these countries is designated as the Interpol Branch. As CBI is the Central Police Organisation of India, CBI has an Interpol Branch located in New Delhi. They do not conduct a full-fledged investigation of any case, which is invariably done by the Police of the country where the crime took place. However, when the case has international ramifications ie. If a part of the crime or conspiracy to commit the crime has taken place in any other country, they can request the Interpol through the Interpol branch of their own country to get the part investigation done in the other country. Interpol can also help in tracing or arresting the accused persons, in case they flee the country where they committed the crime. Thus they coordinate with the Police Organisations of all the member countries and help in the smooth investigation of a crime.

To give an example of a real case that happened in the year 2001, an Indian lady who was working in Dubai as a maid, killed her employer and fled to India with all his booty. The Dubai Police sought Interpol’s help to trace the killer and the Interpol Headquarters in Lyon directed the request to CBI Interpol Branch in New Delhi. They in turn forwarded it to CBI Mumbai because the lady lived in Mumbra which is on the outskirts of Mumbai. As the lady generally wears a veil, it was all the more difficult to trace her in a ghetto like Mumbra. It took a team of four CBI Officers disguised as rickshaw drivers and a salesgirl, 4 days 24/7 to ultimately trace that woman. Thereafter started the real challenge of isolating her and bringing her out of the ghetto to arrest her without attracting anyone’s attention, to avoid a law and order problem. With some quick thinking and smart moves, they were successful in their mission and a transit remand was obtained immediately and she was deported to Dubai where a team of Dubai Police was waiting for her at the Dubai Airport.

We will discuss the various stages of a Criminal Case in Part XI.