Interpol chief missing after trip to China

Meng Hongwei, the Chinese head of the global police organisation Interpol, was reported missing by his wife in September.

Police in Lyon, France - where Interpol is based - were alerted to Meng's seeming disappearance by his wife, who said she became anxious when he fell out of touch after leaving for a trip to China, according to Le Parisien.

The head of Interpol has been reported missing, a French judicial official has said. Other police sources also confirmed the investigation to the Reuters news agency.

He was head or deputy head of branches of the coast guard, and in 2016, he was elected Interpol's president.

"This is a matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China", the agency said in a statement.

China a year ago also requested multiple Interpol red notices seeking the arrest of Guo Wengui, a dissident billionaire who had fled to NY while claiming he possessed explosive secrets about the Communist Party leadership.

Presidents of Interpol are seconded from their national administrations and remain in their home post while representing the global policing body. Rights groups had expressed concern at the time that Beijing might try to use Meng's position at the body to go after dissidents overseas.

Meng Hongwei's wife claims she has not heard from her 64-year-old husband since he left Lyon, France, before a trip to his native China at the end of September. France, China and Interpol officials are yet to comment on the reports.

"The Secretary General is the Organization's full time official responsible for the day to day running of Interpol". Interpol and Chinese authorities have remained silent so far.