International Blue (blue) Warrants against Basil hiding in America

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala states that a request has been made to Interpol to issue a Blue Notice against former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is residing in the States and avoiding court by citing various illnesses. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) made this request based on three charges, including the misuse of funds belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. A Blue Notice is issued to obtain information about a suspect's current location, the name they are using, or their passport, while a Red Notice is subsequently required for their arrest.

A senior police officer stated that Interpol has requested further information from Sri Lanka regarding this request. In response, steps have now been taken to provide the necessary relevant documents.

Two warrants have already been issued for the arrest of the former minister. The main incidents that led to the issuance of these warrants are the purchase of a 1.5-acre land in Browns Hill, Matara, using unproven funds, and the distribution of 12,000 T-shirts using 7.8 million rupees belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau during the Uva Provincial Council election period.

Although "Red Notices" issued by the International Criminal Police Organization, or INTERPOL, are commonly referred to as international arrest warrants, legally they are not automatic international arrest warrants.

Based on a warrant or court order issued by a court in a particular country, this involves requesting police agencies worldwide to locate the individual concerned, temporarily arrest them, and refer them to further legal processes such as extradition. However, whether or not the individual is arrested is determined in accordance with the domestic legal system of the country where they are located.

There are several key differences between Red Notices and Blue Notices issued by INTERPOL. A Red Notice is used to locate and arrest an individual who has been charged or convicted in connection with a case, often allowing for temporary arrest. In contrast, a Blue Notice is issued primarily to gather further information about a person involved in a criminal investigation, such as their identity, location, or activities.



Therefore, a Blue Notice is sufficient to obtain information about a suspect's current location, the name they are using, or their passport, while a Red Notice is issued when the individual needs to be located for prosecution and legally arrested. A Blue Notice does not directly request an arrest.

In addition, INTERPOL issues notices of several colors for various purposes. Accordingly, Yellow Notices are issued to search for missing persons or children and to identify individuals unable to state their identity. Green Notices are used to warn about the criminal activities of individuals who may pose a threat to public safety, and Black Notices are used to obtain information about unidentified dead bodies. Orange Notices are used to warn of serious and imminent threats to public safety caused by a person, object, or event, while information about methods and devices used by criminals is exchanged via Purple Notices.