Interpol Is Now a Crime Victim

The poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Salisbury, England, earlier this month isn't just an international scandal. It is also a crime. And while U.K. authorities are responsible for the investigation, their job is complicated by a crisis at Interpol.

The global law-enforcement agency, which has coordinated worldwide police responses and tracked criminals since World War I, would need to assist Scotland Yard if the trail leads to the Kremlin, as seems likely. Its primary tool is the so-called red notice. These alerts -- requested by national authorities and reviewed and issued by Interpol -- tell local authorities of travelers facing arrest in their home countries who should be detained for potential extradition. (Interpol itself has no arrest authority.) The agency also issues "diffusions," which are similar but not vetted before being issued.