INTERPOL is not a global police force, and it doesn’t have the power to arrest anyone. It’s a coordination platform—an international system that lets member countries share data and request cooperation through standardized alerts and connected databases.
So when someone says, “INTERPOL is looking for me,” it usually means something more specific and less dramatic. In practice, it’s typically one (or more) of the following:
- A Notice recorded in INTERPOL’s systems (most commonly a Red Notice);
- A Diffusion circulated directly by a member country to others; and/or
- A database hit, especially in the SLTD (Stolen and Lost Travel Documents) database, triggered when a passport or ID is checked at a border or by law enforcement.
