A conman who ran one of Britain’s biggest property frauds became the first person in the UK to be served with an Interpol silver notice last year.
Anopkumar Maudhoo, 46, was jailed in September for ten years after posing as a lawyer and “selling” properties to investors that still belonged to their owners.
Most people have heard of Interpol red notices, the alerts circulated worldwide for fugitives wanted for serious offences.
Fewer know about its silver counterpart – the agency’s latest addition to its rainbow hued range of “notices and diffusions”.
Launched as a pilot in January 2025, the silver notice aims to aid the recovery of assets gained through crime, which can be used to compensate victims.
Participating states are now able to share intelligence about the proceeds of criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism, and other serious offences.
In Maudhoo’s case, £8.5 million worth of assets are being sought under the new measure.
The first silver notice was issued by Italy at the beginning of last year, in relation to a senior mafia leader.
India has served several of the new alerts since the pilot began – most recently to trace the assets of Karan A. Chanana, head of global rice brand Amira, after declaring him a fugitive economic offender.
Chanana, a major Tory party donor, is accused of bank loan fraud amounting to around US$145 million.
By late 2025, more than 130 silver notices and diffusions – targeted police alerts sent to selected countries – had been published on behalf of 39 states, relating to allegedly illicit assets exceeding £26 billion.
This reflects a shift in law enforcement priorities – from locating suspects to tracing their gains.
Can silver notices be misused?
While Interpol’s latest notice may be good news for fraud victims seeking repayment, there is also the potential for abuse.
Any Interpol member state can request an alert to be acted on by police forces in the organisation’s 196 countries.
There should be an underlying criminal investigation or proceeding, with the offence being sufficiently serious to warrant action.
Requests are screened by Interpol’s secretariat to ensure they are not politically motivated and are proportionate.
Yet some states are suspected of using the system to pursue their critics.
In 2024, Russia demanded Interpol red notices against judges at the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and another senior official over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Interpol refused the requests.
It had already introduced extra checks on Moscow’s alert applications after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But leaked documents obtained by the BBC suggest the checks have failed to prevent abuse, while a whistleblower has claimed some of the new safeguards are no longer enforced.
Belarus, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates among others have also been accused by critics of misusing Interpol systems for political reasons.
What to do if you are the subject of a silver notice
A silver notice does not freeze assets by itself. But it can disrupt business relationships, prompt regulatory attention and cause reputational harm long before any court determines liability.
Unlike red notices, silver notices are not typically made public, and Interpol does not automatically notify the subject. In many cases, individuals only become aware they are the subject of a silver notice when financial institutions raise concerns, their assets attract attention across borders, or enforcement agencies make enquiries.
If you discover that a silver notice has been issued against you – or that overseas authorities are making enquiries about your assets – it is essential to take early action.
Establish exactly what has been lodged against you
Is it a silver notice or a silver diffusion?
- While notices are reviewed centrally by Interpol and circulated to all member countries, diffusions are direct, police-to-police requests circulated to selected countries with less prior scrutiny.
Is there also a red notice?
- If so, the risk shifts from asset exposure alone to potential detention, extradition and travel restrictions.
Which country requested it?
- Different states have different enforcement cultures, with some being more proactive than others. The identity of the requesting country often dictates how far and how fast the case will travel.
What is the legal basis for the notice or diffusion?
- If grounded in a conviction, a charge or arrest warrant, this may increase the likelihood of asset freezing, extradition proceedings or coordinated international action.
- If the trigger is an ongoing investigation this may indicate intelligence gathering rather than immediate enforcement — though it can still lead to scrutiny from banks and regulators.
Consider challenging the notice
If the request appears politically motivated, disproportionate, or factually flawed, it may be possible to apply to the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files for:
- Access to data – confirmation of whether Interpol holds information about them and, where permissible, disclosure of the data being processed.
- Correction – amendment of inaccurate, outdated or incomplete information.
- Deletion – removal of data or cancellation of a Notice where it is found to breach Interpol’s rules, including political neutrality or human rights safeguards.
How Lewis Nedas can help
We have extensive experience advising individuals and businesses facing serious fraud and financial crime investigations, including matters with an international dimension and exposure to Interpol mechanisms.
Our financial crime defence team can:
- Analyse the legal and evidential basis of the underlying investigation
- Advise on exposure under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and related UK asset-freezing powers
- Engage proactively with domestic enforcement agencies
- Coordinate with overseas counsel in multi-jurisdictional proceedings
- Prepare and pursue applications before the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files
- Advise on managing banking, regulatory and reputational risk
Because silver notices are often issued at an early stage of an investigation, experienced strategic advice can shape the trajectory of the case before matters escalate into formal asset freezing or confiscation proceedings.
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Siobhain Egan, Director (Non-Executive)