Why in News?
- A Blue Corner Notice has been issued against Goa club owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.
- They are promoters of:
- Café Cubi
- Curlies
- The accused reportedly:
- Fled to Thailand
- Background case:
- A massive fire in a Goa club killed 25 people
- Interpol issued the Blue Notice at India’s request.
Relevance
GS Paper II – International Institutions
- Role and limits of Interpol.
- Nature of international police cooperation.
- Difference between Red, Blue & other notices (Prelims favourite).
GS Paper III – Internal Security
- Transnational crime tracking.
- Fire safety negligence → criminal liability → international escape routes.
- Extradition as a security tool.
Basics First: What Is Interpol?
- Full form: International Criminal Police Organization
- Headquarters: Lyon
- Established: 1923
- Members: 195 countries
- Functions:
- Facilitates police cooperation
- Shares:
- Criminal data
- Fingerprints
- DNA records
- Financial crime info
- Interpol is NOT a global police force:
- It cannot arrest directly
- It only assists national police agencies
What Are Interpol Notices?
- International alerts issued to:
- Share criminal information
- Track fugitives
- Prevent cross-border crime
- Issued at the request of:
- A member country
- Or an international tribunal
- Circulated to:
- All 195 member states
Colour-Coded Interpol Notices
| Notice | Purpose |
| Red Notice | To locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person for extradition |
| Blue Notice | To collect information about a person’s identity, location, activities |
| Green Notice | Warning about habitual criminals likely to reoffend |
| Yellow Notice | To locate missing persons, especially children |
| Black Notice | To identify unidentified dead bodies |
| Orange Notice | Warning about imminent threats (terror, biological, chemical) |
| Purple Notice | Modus operandi of criminals, tools, concealment methods |
| Silver Notice | Used for financial crimes and asset tracing |
| UN Special Notice | For persons sanctioned by UN Security Council |
What Is a Blue Corner Notice?
- Purpose:
- To trace a suspect’s location
- To gather:
- Identity details
- Travel history
- Criminal background
- It is used when:
- Person is not yet formally charge-sheeted
- Or arrest is not yet approved
- It DOES NOT authorise arrest
- It is:
- An intelligence-gathering tool
- A pre-extradition step
Difference Between Blue Notice & Red Notice
| Parameter | Blue Notice | Red Notice |
| Objective | Information gathering | Arrest & extradition |
| Legal force | No arrest power | Provisional arrest allowed |
| Stage | Investigation phase | Charges proved |
| Use | Track & verify | Detain & extradite |
Cyber Slavery Racket in Southeast Asia
Why in News (2024–25) ?
- ~300 Indians repatriated from Myanmar after being forced to run cyber scams in “scam compounds”.
- Delhi Police arrested key recruiters of a transnational cyber slavery syndicate.
- Parallel FIRs and arrests in Gujarat and Haryana.
- Renewed focus on cross-border human trafficking + cybercrime convergence.
What is “Cyber Slavery”?
- A form of human trafficking for forced cybercrime.
- Victims:
- Lured via fake overseas job offers (data entry, hospitality, BPO).
- Taken abroad on tourist visas.
- Detained, tortured, and forced to conduct online fraud.
- Work conditions:
- 15–18 hours/day
- Physical assault, emotional abuse
- Confined to dormitory-style scam compounds
When Did Indian Authorities First Take Note?
- September 2022: Publicly flagged by M K Stalin
- Reported youth from Tamil Nadu stranded in Myanmar & Southeast Asia.
- Subsequently, similar cases emerged from:
- Gujarat
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
Geographic Hotspots of Cyber Slavery
- Myanmar
- Border town Myawaddy = most notorious hub
- Cambodia
- Casino cities, especially Sihanoukville
- Laos
- Golden Triangle SEZ
- Structural enablers:
- Weak law enforcement
- High casino density
- Presence of criminal syndicates
- Post-COVID economic distress
Why Did These Countries Become Cyber Slavery Hubs?
- Post-COVID digital crime boom
- Legal casinos & online betting provided cover infrastructure
- Porous borders (especially Myanmar–Thailand)
- Chinese crime syndicates relocating abroad
- Cheap captive labour from South Asia
- High scam profitability using:
- Crypto fraud
- Investment scams
- Romance scams
- Fake trading platforms
Indian Government’s Intervention
- Immigration profiling at airports
- Verification of sponsors and contacts
- Cyber awareness campaigns
- Flagging at-risk destinations
- Embassy-led rescue coordination
Key Data
- Jan 2022 – May 2024:
- 70,000+ Indian job seekers flagged for Cambodia & Laos
- 1,500+ Indians rescued mainly from:
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
Use of Strategic Assets
- Indian Air Force aircraft deployed for repatriation
- Rescues conducted in coordination with:
- Myanmar military (select cases)
- Local police and immigration authorities
Why This is a National Security Concern ?
- Human trafficking + cybercrime + foreign syndicates
- Large-scale financial fraud targeting Indian citizens
- Use of coerced Indians to attack Indian systems
- Links to:
- Money laundering
- Crypto-based terror financing
- Organised transnational crime
Structural Gaps Exposed
- Weak overseas job regulation
- Poor digital literacy among youth
- Lack of real-time international police cooperation
- Slow mutual legal assistance (MLAT) processes
Diplomatic & Legal Dimension
- Long-term resolution depends on:
- Bilateral treaties
- ASEAN-level cybercrime cooperation
- Extradition agreements
- Joint task forces
