31 year-old Admir Suljic was arrested in Italy immediately after his flight from Singapore landed in Milan's Malpensa airport on Thursday, February 21st. After Suljic, who is wanted by Italian authorities, boarded the plane, Singapore's Police Force informed officers from INTERPOL's Fugitive Investigative Support unit, who worked with Italian State Police to prepare for his arrival.
Siljic has been one of the targets of INTERPOL's 2012 Operation InfraRed (International Fugitive Round Up and Arrest - Red Notices). The operation includes over 500 fugitives, wanted by 59 member countries, and has led to the arrest or location of at least 130 people, thus far.
INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble expressed his satisfaction with the close cooperation of states and INTERPOL. "This is exactly the type of result which can be achieved when police share information in real time and use INTERPOL's global networks to locate, identify, and arrest suspects," he said. This capture, he said, only reinforced the need for increased information sharing between police of different states. "What we now need is for national laws to be modernized, allowing the police to share information via INTERPOL channels while investigations are ongoing so they can act fast and more effectively."
"The arrest of this suspected match-fixer could not have been achieved without Italy and Singapore's close cooperation with INTERPOL, nor without a great deal of behind-the-scenes work by prosecutors and magistrates."
The Secretary General concluded that, when working in tandem, states can be extremely effective in bringing those wanted for arrest to justice.
"Those who doubted Singapore's ability or commitment to fight match-fixing and bring those wanted for arrest to justice need to understand that Singapore acts when the evidence exists and is shared and when their laws permit. Singapoie and Italy remain two of INTERPOL's most active and effective member countries."