Interpol’s new Silver Notice, launched with India’s participation, marks a major global step in tracing and recovering illicit assets across borders.
In a landmark move to strengthen the global crackdown on illicit assets, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday confirmed that Interpol has issued its first two Silver Notices—a new category of alerts designed to help track down proceeds of crime—on India’s request.
These notices mark a significant step in international asset-tracing efforts, enabling 51 participating countries, including India, to share and access information related to criminally acquired assets such as properties, bank accounts, vehicles, and businesses. The Silver Notice, introduced by Interpol in January this year, is part of a pilot initiative and represents the newest addition to the organization’s suite of color-coded notices used to combat transnational crime.
“This mechanism will help identify and trace assets acquired through serious offences such as corruption, financial fraud, drug trafficking, and environmental crimes,” said a CBI spokesperson. The notice facilitates cross-border cooperation for locating, identifying, and eventually confiscating criminal assets, subject to domestic laws.
First silver notice: Shokeen Shubham in visa fraud case
The first Silver Notice issued on May 23 pertains to Shokeen Shubham, a former officer attached to the visa and local law section at a foreign embassy in Delhi. According to the CBI, Shubham was involved in a visa fraud conspiracy between September 2019 and May 2022. He is accused of colluding with others to illegally issue Schengen visas in exchange for bribes ranging from Rs15 lakh to Rs 45 lakh per applicant.
Investigators allege that Shubham used the illegal proceeds to purchase six properties in Dubai valued at approximately 7.76 million Dirhams (Rs 15.73 crore). A Blue Notice had previously been issued against him to collect further intelligence on his location and activities.
Second silver notice: Amit Lakhanpal and the Crypto Scam
The second Silver Notice, issued on May 26, targets Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal in a case being pursued by the Enforcement Directorate. Lakhanpal is accused of launching a cryptocurrency called MTC without regulatory approval and defrauding investors of over ₹113 crore.
Authorities say he falsely presented himself as a representative of the Ministry of Finance to gain trust, luring investors with promises of high returns. He failed to repay the funds and is believed to have embezzled the collected amounts.
A new era in asset recovery
India’s financial enforcement agencies—including the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)—have submitted additional cases for consideration under this new Silver Notice category.
Officials believe the initiative will significantly boost international cooperation on financial crimes and facilitate faster recovery of assets from abroad. The information shared under these notices can form the basis for bilateral legal actions, including freezing, seizure, or confiscation of illicit wealth.
The launch of the Silver Notice is being viewed as a major development in global law enforcement, offering countries a new tool to trace and recover criminal assets across borders.
