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Interpol Silver Notice: A New Tool to Combat Organized Crime

INTERPOL has taken a monumental step in the fight against transnational organized crime with the launch of its inaugural Silver Notice. This innovative tool aims to trace and recover criminal assets, disrupt illegal networks, and foster international police collaboration. By targeting the financial gains of criminal enterprises, the Silver Notice is poised to significantly enhance global efforts in asset recovery.

Introduced as part of a pilot phase, the Silver Notice is the latest addition to INTERPOL’s suite of color-coded notices and diffusions. These tools allow member countries to share vital alerts and requests for information worldwide. The pilot, which will run through November 2025, involves 52 countries and territories, including Italy, the United States, and Brazil.

The primary objective of the Silver Notice is to enable countries to locate, identify, and obtain information about assets linked to criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, and environmental crime. These assets could include:

Properties
Vehicles
Financial accounts
Businesses

Member countries can use the information obtained through Silver Notices as a foundation for bilateral agreements to seize, confiscate, or recover these assets, adhering to their national laws.

The First Silver Notice: A Landmark Achievement

The inaugural Silver Notice was issued at the request of Italy and focuses on the assets of a senior mafia figure. Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, a law enforcement agency renowned for its expertise in economic crime, played a pivotal role in this milestone. Prefect Raffaele Grassi, Deputy Director General of Public Security and Director of the Italian Criminal Police, highlighted the significance of this development:

“Italy is proud to chair INTERPOL’s Expert Working Group on Asset Tracing and Recovery. We are confident the Silver Notice and Diffusion will bring positive results, encouraging global law enforcement to enhance asset recovery efforts. It is of particular significance that this inaugural Notice has been issued at the request of investigators from the Guardia di Finanza in Palermo—a city synonymous with the Transnational Organized Crime Convention and its emphasis on the ‘follow-the-money’ principle.”

Why the Silver Notice Matters

Stripping criminal networks of their financial gains is a powerful way to undermine their operations. INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasized the importance of this initiative:

“Stripping criminals and their networks of illegal profits is one of the most powerful ways to fight transnational organized crime, especially considering that 99 percent of criminal assets remain unrecovered. By targeting their financial gains, INTERPOL is working to disrupt criminal networks and reduce their harmful impact on communities worldwide.”

With an estimated 99% of criminal assets going unrecovered globally, the Silver Notice represents a critical tool for law enforcement agencies. It aligns with the broader objective of disrupting criminal enterprises and mitigating their socio-economic impacts.

Governance and Safeguards

The development and implementation of the Silver Notice pilot were outlined in INTERPOL’s Resolution GA-2023-91-RES-11 during its 91st General Assembly in Vienna, Austria. The Expert Working Group on Asset Tracing and Recovery, in collaboration with the General Secretariat, was tasked with:

Designing the pilot’s scope and format
Establishing conditions and safeguard measures

Each Silver Notice and Diffusion undergoes rigorous review by INTERPOL’s General Secretariat to ensure compliance with organizational rules and prevent misuse for political purposes, in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution. During the pilot phase, extracts of Silver Notices will not be published on INTERPOL’s website, maintaining confidentiality.

Participating Countries and Scope of the Pilot

The pilot phase allows participating countries to collectively issue up to 500 Silver Notices and Diffusions, equally distributed among them. This initiative includes a diverse range of countries from every continent, reflecting a truly global effort:

Europe: Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, and more
Americas: United States, Brazil, Argentina, and others
Asia and Middle East: India, Qatar, Kazakhstan, among others
Africa: Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, and more
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

This diverse participation underscores the universal commitment to combat transnational organized crime.

Conclusion: Transforming Asset Recovery

The Silver Notice is a groundbreaking tool in the fight against transnational organized crime. By enabling countries to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activities, it not only disrupts illegal networks but also reinforces international law enforcement collaboration. As the pilot phase unfolds, the global community will have an unprecedented opportunity to refine this tool and maximize its impact. With its potential to transform asset recovery efforts, the Silver Notice marks a significant leap forward in the pursuit of justice and security.