French police have opened an investigation into the whereabouts of the president of international police cooperation agency Interpol, after his wife reported he had gone missing after travelling home to his native China last week. The French interior ministry said on Friday his wife has been placed under protection after threats.

The ministry said the Interpol chief left Lyon, France, where the international police organization is based, and arrived in China at the end of September. She said there had been no news of him since.

Interpol is aware of media reports in connection with the alleged disappearance of INTERPOL President Meng Hongwei. This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China. The Secretary-General is the Organization’s full-time official responsible for the day to day running of Interpol. Interpol’s General Secretariat headquarters will not comment further.

China has not commented officially on Meng’s disappearance and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday.

The 64-year-old Meng Hongwei was elected president of Interpol in November 2016. His term is due to run until 2020. A vice minister of public security in China, he previously served as vice chairman of the national narcotics control commission and director of the National Counter-Terrorism Office for China.

Meng’s appointment at Interpol raised concerns among human rights campaigners who said China has a track record of marrying politics and policing. East and South East Asia Regional Director for Amnesty International, Nicholas Bequelin, was one such voice.

This is extraordinarily worrying given China's longstanding practice of trying to use Interpol to arrest dissidents and refugees abroad.

Chinese president Xi Jinping has waged a crackdown on corruption in recent years that saw high level politicians taken to trial over their misdeeds. China filed a list of 100 of its most-wanted suspects with Interpol in April 2014, about one third of which have since been repatriated.</s>PARIS (AP) — Interpol has made a formal request to China for information about its missing Chinese president who seemingly vanished on a trip home, citing concerns for his well-being.

The Lyon-based international police agency said in a brief statement Saturday that it used law enforcement channels to submit its request about the status of Meng Hongwei.

The agency “looks forward to an official response from China’s authorities to address concerns over the president’s well-being,” the statement said.

China, in the midst of a weeklong holiday, had yet to comment.

Meng’s wife says she hasn’t heard from him since he left Lyon at the end of September. France has launched its own investigation. French authorities say he boarded a plane and arrived in China, but the 64-year-old’s subsequent whereabouts are unknown.

Meng is also a vice minister for public security in China.

Previously, Interpol had said that reports about Meng’s disappearance were “a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China.”

The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, has suggested that Meng may have been the latest target of an ongoing campaign against corruption in China.

The newspaper said that upon landing last week Meng was “taken away” for questioning by what it said were “discipline authorities.” The term usually describes investigators in the ruling Communist Party who probe graft and political disloyalty. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements on its website about Meng and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Meng is the first from his country to serve as Interpol’s president, a post that is largely symbolic but powerful in status. Because Interpol’s secretary general is responsible for the day-to-day running of the agency’s operations, Meng’s absence may have little operational effect.

The organization links up police officials of its 192 member states, who can use Interpol to disseminate their search for a fugitive, or a missing person. Only at the behest of a country does the information go public via a “red notice,” the closest thing to an international arrest warrant. “Yellow notices” are issued for missing persons.

Meng’s appointment as president in 2016 — amid Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption drive — alarmed some human rights organizations, fearful it would embolden China to strike out at dissidents and refugees abroad.

Meng has held various positions within China’s security establishment, including as a vice minister of public security since 2004. His term as Interpol president runs until 2020.

His duties in China would have put him in close proximity to former leaders, some who fell afoul of Xi’s campaign. He likely dealt extensively with former security chief Zhou Yongkang, now serving a life sentence for corruption.</s>Interpol has formally requested information about its missing leader from China, where the Chinese national, Meng Hongwei, seemingly disappeared on a trip home.

The Lyon-based international police agency said Saturday that it used law enforcement channels to submit its request about Meng's status to Beijing, citing concerns about his well-being.

China has not yet commented and is in the midst of a weeklong holiday.

Meng's wife lives in Lyon and recently contacted French police after not hearing from her husband since he traveled to China in late September.

Meng, 64, was elected to lead the organization in November 2016 for a four-year term. A former vice minister of public security in China, he is the first Chinese national to hold the post.

According to Meng's bio on Interpol's website, he has almost 40 years of experience in criminal justice and policing, during which he's dealt with issues related to legal institutions, narcotics control, counterterrorism, border control, immigration and international cooperation.

The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, has implied Meng may have been the latest target of China's ongoing anti-corruption campaign. The newspaper said last week that Meng had been "taken away" for questioning by what it said were "discipline authorities."

That term is frequently used to describe investigators in the ruling Communist Party who probe graft and political disloyalty.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements about Meng and couldn't be reached for comment, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.

Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at Australian National University, said Meng's disappearance would be "pretty disconcerting" for people in international bodies that work with China, and could harm China's efforts to develop cooperative legal assistance measures with other countries.

"It is bizarre," Broadhurst said Saturday, noting China most likely would "brush off" any political damage to Beijing's involvement in international bodies. "It's a price that might have to be paid, but I guess they would see that as a cost worth bearing."</s>Paris, Oct 6 (IANS) Interpol’s Secretary General on Saturday asked the Chinese authorities to clarify the status of the international police organization’s President Meng Hongwei, who reportedly went missing while on a trip to China seven days ago.

Jurgen Stock said Interpol used official law enforcement channels to convey its message to the Chinese authorities and also asked them to address concerns over the well-being of Meng, Efe news reported.

“Interpol’s General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from the Chinese authorities to address concerns over the President’s well-being,” said Stock.

The International Criminal Police Organization, more commonly referred to as Interpol, is a France-based organization that links together international police forces and helps facilitate cooperation between them.

France had on Friday opened an investigation into the alleged disappearance of Meng, whose wife said he went missing on a trip to China.

There has been no news regarding his whereabouts since he left Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon for his native China on September 28.

His wife, who remained in France with their two children, reported her concerns to the police, who launched a probe.

Meng, 64, a high ranking member of China’s Communist Party, was elected as head of Interpol in 2016, replacing Mireille Ballestrazzi.

He thus became the first Chinese national to head the organization, but his nomination met opposition from activist groups critical of China’s track record on human rights.

Interpol links police forces in 192 countries and enables them to work together to fight crime on an international scale.

It provides expertise and capabilities, particularly in three main crime scenarios: Counter-terrorism, cybercrime, and organized as well as emerging crime.</s>The organization links up police officials from its 192 member states, who can use Interpol to disseminate their search for a fugitive or a missing person. Only at the behest of a country does the information go public via a "red notice," the closest thing to an international arrest warrant. "Yellow notices" are issued for missing persons.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - French police are investigating the disappearance of Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who was reported missing after traveling from France to his native China, and they have placed his wife under protection after threats, the interior ministry said on Friday.

Meng’s wife contacted police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based, after not hearing from him since Sept. 25, and after receiving threats by phone and on social media, the ministry said.

A person familiar with the investigation into the disappearance said the initial working assumption of Western investigators was that Meng had antagonized Chinese authorities in some way and had been detained as a result.

“France is puzzled about the situation of Interpol’s president and concerned about the threats made to his wife,” the ministry said.

Meng’s wife, who has remained in Lyon with their children according to police sources, was receiving protection, it said. “Exchanges with Chinese authorities continue,” the ministry added.

China has not commented officially on Meng’s disappearance and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday.

China’s Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

There have been several cases in recent years of senior Chinese officials vanishing without explanation, only for the government to announce weeks or even months later that they have been put under investigation, often for suspected corruption.

It was not clear why Meng, 64, who was named Interpol’s president two years ago, had traveled to China.

Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source as saying Meng had been taken for questioning as soon as he landed in China, but it also was not clear why.

French police are investigating what is officially termed in France a “worrying disappearance”.

Interpol, which groups 192 countries and which is usually focused on finding people who are missing or wanted, said it was aware of reports about Meng’s “alleged disappearance”.

“This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China,” the agency said in a statement.

Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at Australian National University, said Meng’s disappearance would be “pretty disconcerting” for people in international bodies that work with China, and could ultimately damage China’s efforts to develop cooperative legal assistance measures with other countries.

“It is bizarre,” Broadhurst said on Saturday, adding that China was likely to “brush off” any political damage that it would cause to Beijing’s involvement in international bodies.

“It’s a price that might have to be paid, but I guess they would see that as a cost worth bearing,” Broadhurst said.

Presidents of Interpol are seconded from their national administrations and remain in their home post while representing the international policing body.

Meng is listed on the website of China’s Ministry of Public Security as a vice-minister, but lost his seat on its key Communist Party Committee in April, the South China Morning Post reported.

Meng has almost 40 years’ experience in criminal justice and policing, and has overseen matters related to legal institutions, narcotics control and counter-terrorism, according to Interpol’s website.

Interpol staff can carry special passports to help speed deployment in emergency situations but that would not have given Meng any specific rights or immunity in his home country.

When Meng was named Interpol’s president in Nov. 2016, human rights groups expressed concern that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad. Beijing has in the past pressed countries to arrest and deport to China citizens it accuses of crimes, from corruption to terrorism.

At the time, Amnesty International called Meng’s appointment “at odds with Interpol’s mandate to work in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Diplomats say the role of Interpol president is largely ceremonial, with day-to-day work carried out by its secretary general, Juergen Stock, and his staff.</s>French police are investigating the disappearance of Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who was reported missing after travelling from France to his native China, and they have placed his wife under protection after threats, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

Meng's wife contacted police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based, after not hearing from him since Sept 25, and after receiving threats by phone and on social media, the ministry said.

A person familiar with the investigation into the disappearance said the initial working assumption of Western investigators was that Meng had antagonised Chinese authorities in some way and had been detained as a result.

"France is puzzled about the situation of Interpol's president and concerned about the threats made to his wife," the ministry said.

Meng's wife, who has remained in Lyon with their children according to police sources, was receiving protection, it said."Exchanges with Chinese authorities continue," the ministry added.

China has not commented officially on Meng's disappearance and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday.

China's Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

There have been several cases in recent years of senior Chinese officials vanishing without explanation, only for the government to announce weeks or even months later that they have been put under investigation, often for suspected corruption.

It was not clear why Meng, 64, who was named Interpol's president two years ago, had travelled to China.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source as saying Meng had been taken for questioning as soon as he landed in China, but it also was not clear why.

French police are investigating what is officially termed in France a "worrying disappearance".

Interpol, which groups 192 countries and which is usually focused on finding people who are missing or wanted, said it was aware of reports about Meng's "alleged disappearance".

"This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China," the agency said in a statement.

Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at Australian National University, said Meng's disappearance would be "pretty disconcerting" for people in international bodies that work with China, and could ultimately damage China's efforts to develop cooperative legal assistance measures with other countries.

"It is bizarre," Broadhurst said on Saturday, adding that China was likely to "brush off" any political damage that it would cause to Beijing's involvement in international bodies.

"It's a price that might have to be paid, but I guess they would see that as a cost worth bearing," Broadhurst said.

Presidents of Interpol are seconded from their national administrations and remain in their home post while representing the international policing body.

Meng is listed on the website of China's Ministry of Public Security as a vice-minister, but lost his seat on its key Communist Party Committee in April, the South China Morning Post reported.

Meng has almost 40 years' experience in criminal justice and policing, and has overseen matters related to legal institutions, narcotics control and counter-terrorism, according to Interpol's website.

Interpol staff can carry special passports to help speed deployment in emergency situations but that would not have given Meng any specific rights or immunity in his home country.

When Meng was named Interpol's president in Nov. 2016, human rights groups expressed concern that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad. Beijing has in the past pressed countries to arrest and deport to China citizens it accuses of crimes, from corruption to terrorism.

At the time, Amnesty International called Meng's appointment"at odds with Interpol's mandate to work in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Diplomats say the role of Interpol president is largely ceremonial, with day-to-day work carried out by its secretary general, Juergen Stock, and his staff.</s>HE LEFT his home in Lyon, France, for a visit to his homeland, and then vanished — putting the International Criminal Police Organization, best known as Interpol, at the centre of its own missing persons case.

Meng Hongwei, Interpol’s president, boarded a plane and arrived in China, according to a French judicial official. But then, nothing. His wife, who put out a call on Friday, said she hasn’t heard from her 64-year-old husband since the end of September, the official said.

To make matters murkier, Meng is not just the head of Interpol: He’s also a vice minister for public safety in China.

Interpol, based in Lyon, would say only that reports that its president is missing is “a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China”. France launched its own investigation yesterday, according to the judicial official who wasn’t authorised to speak publicly and asked for anonymity.

Whether China was taking action was unknown. But the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, hinted that Meng may have been the latest target of an ongoing campaign against corruption in China.

The newspaper said that upon landing last week Meng was “taken away” for questioning by what it said were “discipline authorities”. The term usually describes investigators in the ruling Communist Party who probe graft and political disloyalty.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements on its website about Meng and could not be reached for comment.

Meng is the first from his country to serve as Interpol’s president, a post that is largely symbolic but powerful in status and not without political weight. But because Interpol’s secretary-general is responsible for the day-to-day running of the police agency’s operations,

Meng’s absence may have little operational effect.

Far from being a Hollywood-style agency with agents toting weapons across the globe, Interpol is low-profile and discrete about its cases, unless it wants to talk.

The organisation links up police officials of its 192 member states, who can use Interpol to disseminate their search for a fugitive, or a missing person. Only at the behest of a country does the information go public via a “red notice”, the closest thing to an international arrest warrant.

But Interpol walks a fine line between its noble mission — facilitating international police co-operation — and the politics and policies of some of its member countries.

Meng’s appointment as president in 2016 — amid Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption drive — alarmed some human rights organisations, fearful it would embolden China to strike out at dissidents and refugees abroad.

Such actions would be contrary to Interpol’s mission statement: “Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

It adds that “intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character” are prohibited.

Meng has a shiny curriculum vita, having held down various positions within China’s security establishment, including as a vice minister of public security — the national police force — since 2004. In the meantime, he served as head and deputy head of branches of the coast guard, all while holding positions at Interpol. His term in Lyon runs until 2020.

His duties in China would have put him in proximity to former leaders, some who had fallen afoul of Xi’s campaign. He likely dealt extensively with former security chief Zhou Yongkang, now serving a life sentence for corruption.

Xi has placed a premium on getting officials and businesspeople accused of fraud and corruption to return from abroad, making Meng’s position even more sensitive.

The anti-corruption drive recently drew headlines after the disappearance three months ago of X-Men star Fan Bingbing, one of the country’s best-known actresses.

Her whereabouts remain unknown. But on Thursday, Chinese tax authorities spoke publicly about her disappearance public, ordering her and companies she represents to pay taxes and penalties totalling $180 million.

Fan is being fined around $99 million personally for tax evasion. Still out of the public eye, she issued a statement apologising for her actions.

China, in the midst of a weeklong holiday, offered no comment on the disappearance of Meng.

In France, there were only questions.

The French are “obviously aware of the disappearance but know nothing more at this stage”, said one diplomatic official, unauthorised to comment publicly on the matter and speaking only on condition of anonymity.</s>FILE - This Oct.16, 2007 file photo shows the entrance hall of Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, central France. A French judicial official says Friday Oct.5, 2018 the president of Interpol has been reported missing after traveling to China. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for an ongoing investigation, said Meng Hongwei's wife reported him missing on Friday. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File) (AP)</s>The newspaper said that upon landing last week Meng was "taken away" for questioning by what it said were "discipline authorities." The term usually describes investigators in the ruling Communist Party who probe graft and political disloyalty. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's secretive internal investigation agency, had no announcements on its website about Meng and couldn't be reached for comment.
French police launch an investigation into the disappearance of Meng Hongwei, the president of Interpol. He was reported missing after traveling to his native country of China last week.