UAE Arrests Former Interpol Official on Corruption and International Bribery Charges
The UAE police have arrested a former high-ranking official in Interpol based on an international arrest warrant issued by the organization at France’s request. The official in question is Vitaly Berlog, who is sought by Paris and his home country, Moldova, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into corruption linked to the cancellation of international arrest warrants in exchange for bribes.
The UAE Ministry of Interior announced that the arrest occurred on Sunday, stating that Berlog faces charges including forgery, bribery, facilitating bribery, and fraud.
From 2017 to 2022, Berlog, who previously served as Moldova’s Minister of Justice and Director of Intelligence, chaired a committee at Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, responsible for reviewing the organization’s Red Notices.
After completing his term at Interpol, Berlog settled in Dubai, drawing the scrutiny of French and Moldovan investigators, who uncovered how numerous fugitives in drug trafficking and other crimes managed to have their arrest warrants dropped through bribery.
Red Notices are international alerts used to request the arrest of wanted individuals across borders and checkpoints. However, they have often faced accusations of political misuse, especially by countries like Russia and China targeting dissidents. Nevertheless, the ongoing investigation has revealed another facet of this exploitation, where fugitives resorted to bribery to cancel their arrest warrants by taking advantage of legal mechanisms originally designed to protect opponents and asylum seekers.
