How do I report a missing person?
To file a missing person report with Interpol, you need to start by contacting your local police authority. Provide the police with as much information as possible about the missing individual:
- Full name and date of birth;
- Last known location;
- Description of appearance (height, weight, eye and hair color, presence of scars and tattoos);
- The last photo;
- The circumstances of the disappearance and all possible suspicions.
After that, the law will forward a request to the National Central Bureau, which acts as a liaison between your country and Interpol. It will then pass the collected data to the General Secretariat for further processing. Next, the General Secretariat will issue a yellow notice and distribute it among the member countries.
Preliminary report
When a person goes missing, you should contact your local police authorities to make the preliminary report, providing relevant information about the individual who has disappeared. This report serves as the foundation for an international search by Interpol.
In the initial report, you need to share critical information linked to the individual for law enforcement use, including:
- Personal Information: Full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and other important personal details.
- Photography for disseminating public messages and conducting checks.
- Description of appearance: height, weight, hair and eye color, presence of scars, tattoos, and other unique features;
- The last known location where the said person was last seen;
- Description of the circumstances surrounding the disappearances;
- Contact information for quick communication and exchange of operational data.
After the initial report is filed, the police will begin an investigation and search for the person. If there’s reason to believe that the individual may have crossed the border or is in another country, local police authority can reach out to Interpol to issue a Yellow Notice, which will aid in the international search.
National Central Bureau (NCB)
The Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) is a key link that connects a country’s national law enforcement agencies with the international network of Interpol. An NCB exists in every Interpol member country and serves as a contact point for exchanging information between countries on issues of international crime, searching for individuals, and law enforcement. Through the NCB, national agencies can initiate international searches, including issuing yellow notices for missing persons.
The Role of NCB in the Process of Filing a Missing Person’s Report
When someone goes missing, the local police authority are the first to start search operations. If there’s evidence that the person in question has left the country, the police will reach out to the National Central Bureau of Interpol for further action. The NCB acts as a mediator between national law enforcement agencies and Interpol.
The NCB collects and sends data to Interpol to spread information about a missing individual among all member countries of the organization. After that, Interpol issues a Yellow Notice, which helps coordinate efforts on an international level to find the missing individual.
The procedure for submitting a request to the NCB goes as follows:
- Gathering information about a missing person from local police authority or the individuals reporting the disappearance;
- Transfer of the collected information to Interpol for verification and further dissemination;
- Issuing a yellow notice to initiate an international search.
Our law firm is ready to assist you in preparing the necessary documents and ensuring proper legal support throughout this process. Reach out to us for consultations and support in addressing such important matters.
Filing with Interpol
After gathering information from local police authorities, the National Central Bureau submits an official request to Interpol.
The NCB submits a request to the INTERPOL General Secretariat through the secure I-24/7 information system. The request includes all necessary information to help locate missing persons, specifically a description of their appearance, their last known location, and any circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
Interpol considers a range of criteria before deciding to issue a yellow notice:
- The presence of a threat to the missing person
- Confirmation of the fact that a person of interest has crossed the border.
- Detailed information about the missing person.
Improving search efforts
The publication of an Interpol Yellow Notice significantly enhances the effectiveness of efforts to find missing persons due to the following factors:
- Access to an international database for sharing operational information;
- Activating the mechanism for international cooperation to coordinate search efforts (interviewing witnesses, checking surveillance cameras, monitoring bank transactions, or tracking a person’s movements through international checkpoints);
- Real-time interaction to speed up the search process;
- Pooling the resources, methods, and search tools of Interpol member countries to enhance search efficiency.
International coordination plays a key role in searching for missing persons. If the missing individual is abroad, national searches may be limited, and working with law enforcement agencies from other countries becomes crucial.
If you’re dealing with a situation where a loved one has gone missing and you need help initiating an international search through Interpol’s Yellow Notice, our law firm is ready to provide expert support. Reach out to our specialists for legal advice and assistance in resolving your situation.
Can Yellow Notices be issued unfairly?
Just like any other alert system, yellow notifications can be issued in violation of procedures:
- A yellow alert can be issued based on false or unreliable information.
- Risk of politically motivated use of yellow notices;
- Abuse by applicants who may file a missing person report to pressure the individual who has disappeared, without any real basis for an international search;
- Violation of international standards and Interpol rules when the request did not undergo proper verification.
If a yellow notice was issued unfairly or with procedural violations, the individual has the right to file a complaint with the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF). This body is responsible for reviewing such complaints and has the authority to cancel or delete the notice if it was issued improperly. For a successful appeal, it’s important to gather evidence proving that the yellow notice was unjustly issued.
How can our Interpol lawyers help?
If you or your loved ones have been victims of the improper use of this tool, it’s important to take the necessary steps to protect your rights. Our law firm is ready to provide professional support and help you contest an unfair yellow notice.
Our team of qualified attorneys is ready to offer clients the following range of services:
- Detailed consultations on gathering the necessary evidence and preparing a request for an international search;
- Appealing an improper yellow notice through the CCF Commission;
- Legal support and assistance throughout the entire process of international search;
- Defending human rights in cases where a yellow notice has been issued for political reasons or due to abuse.
If you need advice or support on issues related to Interpol’s yellow notices, please reach out to our lawyers.
