KUALA LUMPUR: At least 25 individuals wanted by the Malaysian authorities are on the International Criminal Police Organisation's (Interpol) Red Notice list.
Of the total, two individuals are Malaysian nationals, including former police officer Sirul Azhar Umar who was convicted of murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibu and female insurance agent Kueh Kong Ing who was involved in three non-existence scheme insurance worth RM10,000.
Meanwhile, 23 foreigners on the Red Notice list at Malaysia's behest include four North Korean men suspected of involvement in the 2017 murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged brother of Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
It is also believed that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, was also included in the list but has yet to be taken into custody as none of the 195 Interpol member countries had managed to locate him.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also previously reported that the notice against Jho Low and four other fugitives linked to the 1Malaysian Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal was still in force.
The information, however, was not publicly disclosed on Interpol's website due to it being categorised as restricted information and for internal use by member countries.
In January, a Thai court ordered the extradition of Malaysian fugitive businessman Teow Wooi Huat to China for fraud, one of the most recent successful extraditions under the Red Notice.
Another extradition of a Malaysian was done last October where the United States Treasury Department extradited Teo Boon Ching for wildlife trafficking from Africa.
Teo was arrested in Thailand on June 29, 2022, before being extradited to the US where he was charged with wildlife trafficking and money laundering on Oct 7.
A Red Notice is a call for Interpol to locate and provisionally arrest any individual subjected to pending extradition.
The notice is issued by the General Secretariat upon the request of a member country, or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant. The notice, however, is not an international arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, the individual concerned is wanted by the national jurisdictions for prosecution, or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision.
Following this, Interpol's role is to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating wanted individuals with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.
In addition, notices are usually used by the United Nations, the International Criminal Tribunals and the International Criminal Court to seek persons wanted for committing crimes within their jurisdiction, notably genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.