After his wife reported him missing after returning to his native China last week, French police launched an inquiry into the whereabouts of the president of the international police cooperation organisation Interpol.
Meng Hongwei has not spoken with his family since September 29.
He is a former Chinese government official who has served as the Director-General of Interpol since 2016.
His disappearance, according to Interpol, is a concern for French and Chinese authorities.
The South China Morning Post claimed, citing an unidentified source, that Meng Hongwei was “taken away” for interrogation by officials shortly after his aircraft arrived in China.
He was “under investigation” by Chinese officials, according to a Hong Kong publication, although his present whereabouts were unclear.
Mr Meng’s wife reported her husband missing to authorities in Lyon, France, where the agency is based, after not hearing from him since September 25, according to the Interior Ministry.
In a statement, the ministry added, “Exchanges with Chinese officials continue.”
“FRANCE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE THREATS MADE TO HIS WIFE AND IS SURPRISED BY THE SITUATION OF INTERPOL’S PRESIDENT.”
Hongwei’s family has not heard from him since September 25, according to the ministry, which is earlier than the September 29 date originally reported by police sources.
Mr Meng has arrived in China, according to a French official.
Interpol said it was aware of rumours of Mr Meng’s disappearance in a statement, but added that “this is a problem for the competent authorities in both France and China.”
The international police agency’s activities are overseen by Interpol’s secretary general, not its president, according to the statement.
Mr Meng’s itinerary in China remained unknown, as did the reason for his wife’s delay in reporting his disappearance.
The fundamental purpose of Interpol is to offer a framework for police departments in various nations to share information about wanted persons.
Mr Meng has held a number of high-ranking roles in China, including deputy minister of public security, vice chairman of the national drugs control commission, and head of the Chinese National Counter-Terrorism Office.
In 2016, he was elected president of Interpol, and his tenure will end in 2020.
Human rights organisations have previously voiced worry that Beijing would attempt to leverage Mr Meng’s position at the organisation to target foreign dissidents.
For many years, the Chinese government has attempted to recruit the assistance of other governments in order to arrest and deport persons accused of crimes such as corruption and terrorism back to China. Interpol’s representative did not return my calls.
