INTERPOL targets escaped French gangster Redoine Faid with Red Notice
World police body supporting international manhunt for convicted robber who blasted his way out of prison
LYON, France – An INTERPOL Red Notice or international wanted persons alert has been issued for one of France’s most notorious criminals, Redoine Faid, who escaped from a detention centre near Lille after setting off a series of explosions and taking four guards hostage.
The global alert was sent to all 190 member countries just hours after the breakout on Saturday and included identifying information such as the photograph and fingerprints of the convicted armed robber in order to assist national law enforcement to identify him.
In addition to his convictions for a series of armed robberies, 40-year-old Faid is suspected of involvement in a robbery in 2010 in which a policewoman was killed during a shootout and is also wanted in connection with the attempted murder of an officer of the Gendarmerie Nationale.
INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support (FIS) unit at its General Secretariat headquarters is now liaising closely with French authorities in order to ensure that any information on Faid’s whereabouts is shared as a high priority.
INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, Jean-Michel Louboutin said the decision by its National Central Bureau in Paris to make the Red Notice publicly available would significantly assist law enforcement in locating the escaped prisoner.
“Redoine Faid is clearly a dangerous individual and INTERPOL is providing all necessary support to ensure that he is back behind bars as quickly as possible,” said Mr Louboutin.
“INTERPOL’s Red Notice is a powerful law enforcement tool that can assist police locate and apprehend individuals who pose a threat to public safety and security, which is clearly the case here. France’s request for INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice dramatically increases the likelihood of Faid’s arrest, no matter where he attempts to evade justice,” added Mr Louboutin.
Faid should be considered armed and dangerous and members of the public are advised not to approach him, and to pass any information to their local or national police.
A Red Notice can be requested by any INTERPOL member country and is issued by INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters. It is placed in INTERPOL’s central database which can be queried by any member country, and can also be added to foreign law enforcement databases and border lookout systems.
Many INTERPOL member countries view a Red Notice as the basis for the provisional arrest of a wanted person with a view to their extradition. Issued in all four of INTERPOL’s official languages ‒ Arabic, English, French and Spanish ‒ a Red Notice remains in effect until the wanted fugitive is extradited.
