Interpol Appealing to General Public to Find Fugitives

PARIS, July 5, 2010— -- Interpol, the world's largest international police organization with 188 member countries, issued an unusual appeal today. It asked the general public around the world to help provide information on 26 international fugitives who are suspected of, or have been convicted of, such offences as murder, child sexual abuse, rape and drug trafficking.

Interpol launched operation Infra-Red -- short for International Fugitive Round-Up and Arrest–Red Notices -- May 3, targeting 450 fugitives. So far, more than 110 people on this wanted list have been arrested or located worldwide as a result of this operation.

"The operation has been very successful," Martin Cox, assistant director of Interpol's Fugitive Investigative Support unit, told ABC News by phone from Interpol's headquarters in Lyon, France, where 50 investigators from 29 countries share information on these wanted persons, some of whom have been sought for many years.

But the 26 cases for which Interpol has sought the public's assistance "are cases for which we have almost reached an impasse in the actual investigation from what we can do from a police point of view," Cox said. "Now, we're trying to see if the public can help by providing new leads to find these people.

"It's the first time that we've put together such a large group of fugitives and asked the public's assistance in finding them," he said.

People can consult Red Notices, an international wanted persons alert on the Interpol public website and send in tips.

To date, new information, including possible locations, travel document data, photographs, fingerprints and telephone numbers, on more than 300 Infra-Red fugitives has been shared with Interpol, the organization announced in a statement.