The UAE’s Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of Vitalie Pîrlog, a Moldovan national and former chair of Interpol’s Files Commission, on June 15. The arrest followed an INTERPOL Red Notice issued at France’s request. Pîrlog faces charges of forgery, mediating bribes and fraud, and is accused of orchestrating a cross-border corruption scheme.
French authorities praised the UAE’s co‑operation, describing the arrest as a demonstration of effective international collaboration in combating transnational crime.
Investigation into Pîrlog began in Moldova, where prosecutors accused him of accepting bribes via an organised network involving multiple countries. He allegedly abused his Interpol position between 2017 and 2022 to help criminals evade extradition by cancelling or blocking Red Notices. Prosecutors say more than 26 fugitives received false asylum status under his direction.
Moldova arrested four interior ministry officials in June last year linked to the same network, accused of facilitating the removal of Red Notices in exchange for bribes from organised crime figures in Russia, China, Ukraine and beyond.
In parallel, the Moldovan Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office reported seizure of assets worth 11.7 million lei, including real estate linked to Pîrlog, and requested 30‑day pre-trial detention for him and other suspects.
Interpol’s refugee resolution, designed to protect legitimate asylum seekers from politically motivated Red Notices, was allegedly misused in this case through a corrupt asylum scheme, undermining global law enforcement trust.
