Why in news?
On 2 December 2025 the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force arrested an international wildlife trafficker, Yangchen Lachungpa, who had been wanted under an INTERPOL Red Notice issued in October. She had been absconding for years after being charged with smuggling tiger bones and pangolin scales. Her arrest underscores how Red Notices help coordinate global efforts against cross‑border wildlife crime.
Background
An INTERPOL Red Notice is an international alert issued at the request of a member country seeking the location and provisional arrest of a fugitive pending extradition. It is not an international arrest warrant; national authorities decide whether to act on it according to their own laws. Red Notices include identifying details of the wanted person and information about the charges, which must involve serious crimes such as murder, rape, child abuse or significant trafficking offences. INTERPOL’s General Secretariat reviews each request for compliance with its Constitution and rules.
The 2025 wildlife case
- The crime: In 2015 a case was registered against a network involved in poaching tigers and pangolins in Madhya Pradesh. Investigations uncovered smuggling of tiger bones, skins and pangolin scales to buyers across India, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan.
- Convictions and absconding: Out of 36 accused, 27 were convicted in 2022. Yangchen Lachungpa was initially arrested in 2017 but jumped bail and fled. The WCCB sought an INTERPOL Red Notice through the Central Bureau of Investigation, India’s national liaison agency for INTERPOL.
- Arrest in 2025: Acting on the Red Notice, agencies traced her to Sikkim and coordinated her arrest on 2 December 2025. She was brought to Madhya Pradesh to face trial under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and other laws.
Purpose and limitations of Red Notices
- International cooperation: Red Notices enable law‑enforcement agencies across borders to share information about fugitives and coordinate arrests.
- Not an arrest warrant: INTERPOL cannot compel a country to arrest someone. Each nation decides the legal value of a Red Notice within its jurisdiction.
- Serious crimes only: Notices are issued for offences that would normally merit at least two years of imprisonment and are not of a political, military, religious or racial character.
Conclusion
The arrest of Yangchen Lachungpa shows how international alerts can aid wildlife protection. However, it also highlights the need for cooperation among countries to ensure that fugitives cannot evade justice by crossing borders.
Source: Press Information Bureau
