NEW DELHI: In a significant development in cross-border asset tracing, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has secured India’s first two INTERPOL Silver Notices, a new category of alert introduced to help countries identify, locate, and obtain information on criminal assets globally.
The Silver Notice, launched by INTERPOL under a pilot scheme in 51 countries and territories, enables member states to post international alerts on information on assets associated with serious crimes such as corruption, drug trafficking, fraud, and environmental crimes. These can translate to subsequent bilateral action for seizure, confiscation or recovery of the said assets, subject to domestic legislation.
India, led by its central investigating agencies—CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)—has actively participated in the pilot phase, which allows each of these participating nations to publish up to nine Silver Notices until at least November 2025.
On 23 May 2025, CBI obtained India’s first Silver Notice against Shokeen Shubham, a former personnel visas & local law officer at the embassy of a foreign nation in New Delhi. Shubham is alleged to have orchestrated a high-value visa scam between September 2019 and May 2022, where he received illegal gratification of between INR 15 to 45 lakh per applicant for providing an assurance of arranging Schengen visas. He is accused of using the ill-gotten gains to purchase six properties in Dubai worth around 7.76 million dirhams (INR 15.73 crore). Previously, a Blue Notice had been put out to locate him.
Shortly thereafter, on 26 May 2025, CBI, at the request of the ED, released another Silver Notice against Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal. Lakhanpal has been charged with introducing an unregistered cryptocurrency, MTC, and raising more than Rs 113.10 crore from investors in the absence of regulatory clearance. He is said to have impersonated a Ministry of Finance official to gain investors’ confidence and then defaulted on refunding the investments. A Red Notice had previously been put on him to enable his arrest.
Issuance of such Silver Notices is a major advancement in India’s international battle against financial crimes. One says this will help identify, trace, and recover assets accumulated through criminal means.
The CBI said the newly released notices would enhance global cooperation in tracing assets and serve as an effective deterrent to economic criminals seeking to stash funds abroad.