SINGAPORE - Interpol red notices were issued against a couple who had gone missing while being investigated for allegedly failing to deliver luxury goods worth at least $32 million to their customers.

The police, announcing on Tuesday (July 19) that the notices, as well as warrants of arrests, have been issued, said they are working with their foreign counterparts to trace the 26-year-old man and his wife, 27.

Prior to their disappearance, the man was arrested on June 27, and his passport was impounded by the police before he was released on bail the next day.

His wife, understood to be a Thai national, surrendered her passport to the authorities on June 30.

The couple have been uncontactable since.

A 40-year-old Malaysian man was arrested and charged last Wednesday (July 13) over allegedly helping the couple leave Singapore on July 4.

So what is an Interpol red notice?

The Straits Times answers some of your questions about Interpol and how a red notice works.

Q: What is Interpol?

A: The International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly referred to as Interpol, is an inter-governmental organisation that helps facilitate cooperation among the law enforcement forces of its 195 member states.

Other than helping countries work together to fight transnational crimes like terrorism and cybercrimes, it also manages databases of information on crimes and criminals that member states can access.

The records on these databases include information on individuals such as names and fingerprints; stolen property such as passports and vehicles; and weapons criminals hold, such as firearms

While its headquarters is in Lyon, France, the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation was opened in Singapore in 2015. The complex, located in Napier Road, has a cutting-edge research and development facility for the identification of crimes and criminals, and a digital forensic laboratory, among other things.

Q: What are Interpol notices?

A: Interpol notices allow the police to alert their counterparts in other countries of potential threats, as well as request information and ask for assistance in solving crimes.

There are eight types of notices, each with a colour code.

A black notice, for instance, is a request to seek information on unidentified bodies.

A green notice is a warning about the criminal activities of an individual who is considered a possible threat to public safety.

The notices are for only the police and generally not made public, unless there is a need to alert or seek help from members of the public, in which case an extract of the notice is published on the Interpol website.

For instance, many yellow notices, which are issued seeking help to locate a missing person or identify someone who is unable to identify himself, are public.

Of the 8,494 public yellow notices currently in circulation, four of them are for Singaporeans.

Q: What is a red notice?

A: This is an international wanted person notice that alerts police worldwide about fugitives.

The notice requests law enforcement units worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or other legal action.

Once a red notice is issued, police in other countries can be on the lookout for the fugitives and use the red notice to support extradition proceedings after an arrest is made.

However, an Interpol red notice is not an arrest warrant and, therefore, Interpol cannot compel the law enforcement unit in any country to arrest someone. Each country decides what value it gives to a red notice.

Every red notice request by the police is checked by Interpol before being issued. Requests may not be published if the offence relates to private matters or raises controversial issues relating to behavioural or cultural norms in various countries.

There are currently about 69,000 red notices, of which slightly more than 7,000 are public. In 2021, 10,776 red notices were issued.

Q: Have red notices been issued against Singaporeans before?

A: There are currently five Singaporeans who have public red notices issued against them.

Siak Lai Chun, 60, has been on the list for more than two decades. The former OUB assistant manager fled Singapore in December 1997 after allegedly stealing $18.7 million from the bank using fake cashier's orders.

Muhammad Ridzuan Johan, 40, is wanted for a murder in 2007.

Muhammad Faidhil Mawi, 37, is wanted for a murder that took place in 2006.

Neo Soon Joo, 51, a former cabby, was the alleged mastermind behind a 2008 armed robbery and kidnapping. He fled to Malaysia via Woodlands Checkpoint after the incident.

Koh Kian Tiong, 49, is wanted for obtaining and accepting gratifications, but the time of the offence is not publicly available.