New Delhi: Under the 'Silver Notice' launched by Interpol on January 10 this year, CBI in India has issued two silver notices from Interpol against two wanted persons. The first silver notice is related to visa fraud. Which has been issued on May 23. While the second has been issued on May 26. CBI said that the first silver notice issued on May 23 has been published against Shaukeen Shubham, the then personal visa and local law officer in the embassy of a foreign country in Delhi. It is related to visa fraud.
It is alleged that the accused conspired with other accused persons during the period from September 2019 to May 2022. In this, Schengen visas were issued to visa applicants by taking bribes ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 45 lakh from each visa applicant. CBI officials said that with the money earned from visa fraud, the accused had bought six immovable properties worth Rs 15 crore 73 lakh 51 thousand 250 i.e. 7,760,500 dirhams in Dubai, UAE. Earlier, the CBI had also issued a blue notice against the accused to trace his whereabouts.
Regarding the second silver notice, the CBI said that this notice has been issued against Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal on the request of the ED. It is alleged that Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal created a digital/crypto-currency named MTC for his financial gain. Which is not recognized in India. He lured investors and collected funds of about Rs 113.10 crore for investing in MTC. He did this without the prior requisite permission and license from the government and RBI.
It is alleged that in the end he did not return the invested amount as promised while collecting the investment. He embezzled crores of rupees collected. Due to which the investors were cheated financially. To strengthen his intentions of luring and deceiving people, the accused presented himself as an authorized representative of the Finance Ministry of the Government of India. Earlier, a red notice was also issued against him.
What is the benefit of Silver Notice?
Silver Notice was launched by Interpol on January 10 this year. Right now it may remain in the trial phase till November this year. Through Silver Notice, Interpol member countries can request information on a person's assets linked to criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, environmental crimes and other serious crimes. It will facilitate in detecting, identifying and obtaining information about laundered assets (or illegally acquired assets) including properties, vehicles, financial accounts and businesses.
Countries can then use such information as the basis for bilateral engagement, including bilateral requests for seizure, confiscation or recovery of assets, subject to national laws. Currently, Silver Notices have been launched as part of a pilot phase involving 51 countries and territories. As part of the pilot phase, each country can publish up to 9 Silver Notices. NBT had already prominently reported on India's quota of nine Silver Notices on April 8.
