A Red Notice arising from a commercial dispute
Client A.
A Red Notice initiated at the request of a former business partner. A charge of large-scale fraud grew out of an ordinary commercial conflict between co-owners of a business.
- Jurisdiction
- Russia
- Duration
- ≈11 months
- Outcome
- Red Notice removed from Interpol's databases
Situation
The entrepreneur became the subject of a criminal case involving large-scale fraud. The case was initiated by a former business partner with connections within law enforcement, and in substance it continued a dispute over the division of the business.
Once the Red Notice was activated, the wanted-person information became visible to every Interpol member state. The client's international business activity came to a halt, and any border crossing carried a risk of arrest.
Key challenges
- The notice was disseminated across the entire Interpol network.
- It was necessary to show the commercial nature of the conflict underlying the criminal charge.
- The risk of detention at any border control.
- A limited amount of publicly available material due to the confidentiality of the investigation.
ARGA's work
- 01
Legal audit
ARGA examined the materials of the criminal case, confirmed the status of the active Red Notice, and documented the commercial background to the prosecution.
- 02
Building the evidentiary record
The chronology of the corporate dispute was reconstructed, and financial documents, business correspondence and third-party testimony were gathered.
- 03
Application to the CCF
A detailed complaint was prepared for Interpol's Commission for the Control of Files, pointing out that the data did not comply with the organisation's rules.
- 04
Protective measures during the review period
Local coordination was put in place in case of detention pending the decision on the complaint.
- 05
The CCF's decision
The Commission found the notice non-compliant with Interpol's rules and decided to have it removed.
Result
The Red Notice was removed. The client regained freedom of movement and resumed business activity in Europe. The case is published anonymised: identifying details are not disclosed.