An Interpol Silver Notice (a wanted notice for tracking criminal proceeds) has been issued for a group of Koreans who defrauded victims of 1.4 billion won through stock investment leading scams. This is the first time that the Silver Notice, a newly established type of notice designed for tracking criminal proceeds, has been issued for a case in Korea.
According to the National Police Agency on June 25, Interpol issued the Silver Notice on June 23 for two ringleaders of an investment fraud organization of Korean nationality. The group is accused of approaching victims of stock investment leading scams and promising the recovery of losses and guaranteed profits through investments in unlisted stocks, thereby defrauding a total of 83 people out of 1.4 billion won.
The group fled overseas at the end of last year. The National Police Agency considered the recovery of criminal proceeds to be a critical issue in this case and selected it as the first Silver Notice application from Korea, working in cooperation with Interpol.
The Silver Notice was created to track, freeze, and recover various types of criminal proceeds and assets. This is in response to the recent surge in transnational crimes, where suspects hide criminal proceeds overseas in forms such as real estate, vehicles, virtual currencies, expensive artworks, and antiques. Interpol decided to introduce the Silver Notice at its 84th General Assembly in 2015, and began pilot operations in 53 countries worldwide from January to November this year.
The National Police Agency plans to participate in the global initiative to block transnational flows of criminal funds and restore damages to victims.
An official from the National Police Agency stated, "With the issuance of Korea's first Interpol Silver Notice, we will continue to closely cooperate with the Interpol General Secretariat and member countries to focus our efforts on tracking and recovering the criminal proceeds and assets of the suspects."
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