French police are investigating the disappearance of Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who was reported missing after traveling from France to his native China.
Meanwhile, his wife has been placed under police protection after receiving threats.
Meng’s wife, Dhe, contacted police in Lyon, the French city where the international police agency is based.
The wife did so after not hearing from him since Sept. 25, and after receiving threats by phone and on social media, France’s interior ministry said.
A person familiar with the investigation said the initial working assumption 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, adding that it was in contact with China.
Meng’s wife, who has remained in Lyon with their children according to police sources, was receiving protection, it said.
It was not clear why Meng, 64, who was named Interpol’s president two years ago, had traveled to China, which has not commented officially on his disappearance.
China’s Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment and there was no mention of him in official media on Saturday.
There have been several cases in recent years of senior Chinese officials vanishing without explanation.
Consequently, the government would announce weeks or even months later that they have been put under investigation, often for suspected corruption.
Hong Kong’s South China Media quoted an unnamed source as saying Meng had been taken for questioning as soon as he landed in China, but it was not clear why.
French police are investigating what is officially termed in France a “worrying disappearance”.
Interpol says disappearance of its president is a ‘matter for French, China authorities’ Interpol.
Such body groups 192 countries and which is usually focused on finding people who are missing or wanted, said from its secretary general, Juergen Stock, that it had asked China for clarification.
“Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from China’s authorities.
”It requested on the status of Interpol President Meng Hongwei,” Stock, who is in charge of Interpol’s day-to-day running, said on Saturday.
Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at Australian National University, said Meng’s disappearance would be “pretty disconcerting” for people in international bodies.
”Especially such 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 Communist Party Committee in April, the Media 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. (Reuters/NAN)