While the world is familiar with Interpol’s Red Corner Notice used to flag wanted criminals, a quieter but potent tool has recently emerged on the international stage, known as the Silver Notice. India has now joined the ranks of countries deploying this novel mechanism, aimed not at capturing fugitives directly, but at tracing their wealth across borders. In a significant move, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently issued India’s first two Silver Notices, part of a new Interpol project designed to help law enforcement agencies worldwide identify, monitor, and eventually recover properties and assets acquired through serious crimes. What is a Silver Notice? Launched under a pilot programme by Interpol in collaboration with 51 countries and territories, the Silver Notice is a powerful instrument for asset tracing. Unlike traditional notices like Red (wanted persons), Blue (location tracking), or Green (crime alerts), the Silver Notice focuses exclusively on financial footprints, i.e. assets, real estate, bank accounts, and any properties linked to organised criminal activity. This pilot project will run until November 2025, with each participating country allowed to issue a maximum of nine notices. In India’s case, the initiative is being jointly utilised by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The goal is to build global intelligence around illicit wealth and make it increasingly difficult for criminals to hide behind international borders. These notices enable countries to share specific property details linked to crimes such as corruption, drug trafficking, environmental offences, and financial fraud. The information can then be used to assist in legal proceedings for asset seizure and recovery. India’s First Silver Notice Issued To Shubham Shokeen India’s first Silver Notice was issued on May 23, 2025, against Shubham Shokeen, a former visa and local law officer at a foreign embassy in New Delhi. Between September 2019 and May 2022, Shokeen allegedly masterminded a visa fraud racket, illegally issuing Schengen visas in exchange for hefty bribes ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 45 lakh per applicant. Using the proceeds of the alleged scam, he purchased six immovable properties worth AED 77.6 lakh (approximately Rs 15.73 crore) in Dubai. The Silver Notice now seeks to flag and trace these assets with an eye toward seizure. Earlier, a Blue Corner Notice had been issued against Shokeen to trace his whereabouts. Second Silver Notice Issued To Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal Just days later, on May 26, a second Silver Notice was issued, this time at the request of the ED, against Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal, the controversial promoter of the fraudulent cryptocurrency Money Trade Coin (MTC). Lakhanpal is accused of raising over Rs 113 crore from investors by falsely portraying MTC as a government-backed crypto initiative. He is also alleged to have misrepresented himself as an official of the Ministry of Finance. Despite earlier action, including a Red Notice, many of the assets acquired from this scam remained difficult to locate or seize, until now. The Silver Notice aims to rectify that by enlisting global cooperation in tracing his financial trail. Why It Matters India’s participation in the Silver Notice pilot signals a crucial shift in the country’s approach to transnational crime. As white-collar criminals increasingly exploit global financial systems to launder their wealth, traditional tools like arrest warrants are proving insufficient. Asset tracing, once an afterthought, is now becoming central to the pursuit of justice. By zeroing in on ill-gotten gains and enabling countries to share intelligence in near real time, the Silver Notice could become a game-changer in the international fight against financial crime.