Interpol issues red corner notice against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi

The Interpol on Monday issued a red corner notice (RCN) against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi for money laundering in connection with the multi-crore rupee Punjab National Bank fraud.

A red corner notice issued by Interpol urges its member countries to detain or arrest an accused who is wanted in a country. The Interpol has put out Nirav Modi’s photo and has shared his age and other details on its website.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had approached Interpol last month seeking issuance of RCN against Nirav Modi. The RCN is expected to empower police of 190 member-countries to locate and arrest the diamantaire who is wanted in a Rs 13,400-crore bank fraud in India.

Nirav and his uncle Mehul Choksi are among the main accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud. They have been booked in nearly half-a-dozen cases related to the fraud.

They fled the country in the first week of January, days before the PNB was able to detect the fraud. Last month, a special court in Mumbai allowed the Enforcement Directorate’s to start Nirav Modi’s extradition process.

The Interpol has put out Nirav Modi’s photo and has shared his age and other details on its website. (ANI Photo/Twitter)

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing money laundering charges against the duo, have issued repeated summons to the two. Their passports have also been revoked.

The CBI tried to track Nirav’s movements through a diffusion notice issued to six countries — the US, Singapore, Belgium, the UAE, the UK and France — through the Interpol on February 15, but only the UK replied with details about his movements to and from London’s Heathrow airport till March 31.

According to the information from the UK, Nirav managed to travel across several countries – US, Hong Kong, France and the UK — even after the Indian government informed the Interpol that his passport had been revoked.

A special court in Mumbai last month allowed investigating agencies to start the process of the 47-year-old’s extradition from the UK on charges of money laundering.