HomeInterpol Orange Notice in the UAE
Interpol Orange Notice is an international warning about an imminent threat. Unlike notices for the search of individuals, it concerns objects that may pose a danger: explosives, booby-trapped cargo, counterfeit medicines, toxic chemicals, or any other items threatening safety.
For the UAE, as a global hub of international business and logistics, the significance of orange alerts is especially great. They allow for the early identification of potential risks and protect residents, tourists, and businesses from critical threats. In the conditions of the country’s high international activity, any delay can lead to serious consequences, which is why timely response is of key importance.
Our legal company assists clients in matters related to Interpol notices. We help companies in the UAE establish legal and compliance procedures to reduce risks, provide consultations on international law and interaction with law enforcement agencies, and also protect the interests of businesses and individuals in high-risk situations.
What is an Orange notice?
Interpol Orange Notice is one of the most critically important tools of international cooperation, used for the immediate warning of a real threat to public safety. Unlike notices aimed at locating individuals or describing crime schemes, the Orange Notice is an urgent international alarm signal indicating a specific object, situation, or event that poses a danger.
Its main goal is to warn all participating countries about the presence of dangerous items or materials requiring immediate response. This could involve explosive packages, concealed weapons, toxic chemicals, radioactive substances, counterfeit medications, or other items capable of causing harm to people and infrastructure. The orange notice not only informs but also demands urgent action from law enforcement agencies: inspection, seizure, isolation, and prevention of consequences.
For the UAE, this tool holds special significance. The country is home to major international transport hubs: Dubai Airport (DXB), Jebel Ali Port, as well as dozens of industrial zones through which millions of tons of cargo and hundreds of thousands of passengers pass daily. Any delay in responding to a threat could result not only in human casualties but also in significant economic losses. This is precisely why the police of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other emirates actively cooperate with the National Central Bureau of Interpol for prompt responses to such notices.
Goals and objectives of notice in the UAE
Warning about hidden threats. The orange notice is intended to inform UAE authorities in advance about disguised dangerous objects: explosive devices, concealed weapons, toxic chemicals, or radioactive materials. The country receives hundreds of thousands of passengers and millions of tons of cargo daily, so such warnings allow for quickly isolating the threat and preventing its spread.
Protection of critical infrastructure. For the Emirates, particularly vulnerable facilities remain airports, seaports, skyscrapers, hotels, shopping malls, as well as venues for mass events. The orange alert allows for timely strengthening of security measures and reduces the likelihood of attacks on key facilities, ensuring stability and trust in the country as a safe destination for business and tourism.
Exchange of information about criminals’ tactics. An important task is also the dissemination of information about new methods and technologies used by terrorists and organized criminal groups. For the UAE, this means the ability to adapt existing security protocols — from cargo inspections at ports to enhanced access control at mass events. Such an exchange of experience makes the country’s protection system dynamic and resilient to new challenges.
Who initiates the alarm signal for the UAE?
National Central Bureaus of member countries. The primary source of information is the law enforcement agencies of the state where a new threat is detected. For example, if the police in Europe discover a disguised explosive device in a laptop, they send a request through their NCB for the issuance of an orange notice. This allows other countries to be warned in advance about the possible use of similar methods.
The General Secretariat of Interpol. Upon receiving a message, the General Secretariat in Lyon verifies the accuracy and urgency of the information. After verification, the notice is distributed to all 196 member countries. This centralized process ensures that the data is not only accurate but also communicated to all competent authorities simultaneously.
International organizations. Partners of Interpol also play an important role. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), and other organizations provide data related to aviation or customs security. For example, if a new scheme for transporting hazardous chemicals through container cargo is identified, this information may serve as the basis for issuing an orange notice.
What information does the UAE police receive?
When a potential threat is identified at the international or regional level, the National Central Bureau of Interpol and the law enforcement agencies of the initiating country send a detailed dossier to the UAE NCB (and subsequently to the relevant services in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other emirates). For this dossier to be operationally useful, it usually contains the following components:
- Description of the threat. A brief formulation of the essence: for example, “a series of attempts to carry a homemade explosive device disguised as a phone charger in hand luggage has been noticed.” Such a description allows for an immediate understanding of the nature of the risk and prioritizing the response.
- Indicators and signs (non-technical). A list of observable signs by which security and inspection services can recognize a suspicious item: the appearance of the packaging, unusual marks on the body, discrepancy in weight and dimensions, passenger behavior, etc. Important: these are guidelines for recognition, not instructions for manufacturing.
- Possible precautionary measures and operational recommendations. Practical recommendations that can be implemented immediately: enhance selective screening of electronics in the carry-on baggage area at the airport, temporarily increase the number of staff at checkpoints, activate extended baggage checks at mass events. Recommendations are provided in the format of “enhance/check/notify,” without technical details on interfering with devices.
- Contact and coordination information. Data of the NCB of the initiating country and specialized contact centers (through official channels) for prompt information exchange, requesting additional materials, or coordinating joint operations.
- Visual materials. Photographs of suspicious items, high-quality footage from surveillance cameras, general packaging schemes, and photographs of discovery locations. Such materials help security services quickly compare items without requiring deep technical knowledge.
- Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and technical-operational characteristics. These may include bill of lading numbers, patterns of fraudulent emails, bank transfer routes, utilized cargo transportation routes, IP addresses, or domains observed during an attack on corporate systems. Important: such data helps analysts and cybersecurity departments target inspections.
- Description of the target audience and risk objects. Who the threat may be directed at. For example, foreign investors and their offices in DIFC, logistics operators in Jebel Ali, passenger terminals at DXB, hotel complexes on Palm Jumeirah, or venues for mass events. This allows prioritizing resources and informing specific business sectors.
- Geographical and temporal reference. Information about where and when incidents or attempts were recorded (city districts, specific terminals, time windows). Helps organize patrolling and implement temporary countermeasures.
- Assessment of reliability and urgency. A brief note on the degree of source verification and the required urgency of response (for example: “verified, immediate response recommended” or “indirect data, additional verification desirable”).
- Procedures for interaction and data exchange. Recommendations on how and through which channels to exchange raw data, where to send discovered samples, and which international structures to involve (customs, aviation security, special units).
- Legal and procedural guidelines. Indication of legal restrictions on information gathering and the application of measures, the necessity of adhering to procedures for surveillance, monitoring, and the rights of suspects in accordance with national and international law (important for operational activities in the UAE).
- Recommendations for training and dissemination of warnings. Proposals for conducting brief briefings for port/airport/hotel staff and distributing specialized bulletins with visual examples and checklists for security.
If you are a representative of a company affected by the incident in the UAE, or want to prepare your business for prompt handling of such notices, our lawyers and compliance specialists will help prepare a package of documents for interaction with law enforcement agencies, organize communication with the NCB, and conduct a risk assessment for your facility.
Types of threats relevant to the UAE
Hidden dangerous items. One of the key threats to the UAE remains the risk of smuggling weapons or explosives concealed in commercial cargo passing through the country’s free economic zones. Jebel Ali, one of the largest ports in the world, is a hub for international trade, and it is here that criminal groups attempt to use sophisticated masking methods to hide illegal items among legal goods.
Dangerous materials. The airports of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah handle hundreds of thousands of passengers and thousands of tons of luggage and cargo daily. This creates a risk for attempts to transport chemical or radioactive components that could be used for terrorist attacks or illegal trafficking. In such situations, preventive measures are extremely important: enhanced cargo inspection, the use of modern scanning technologies, and international cooperation.
Criminal methods and tactics. The threat to mass events in the UAE is associated not only with classic terrorism but also with innovative technologies. For example, there have been recorded cases where drones were used to transport dangerous items or carry out attacks during concerts or sporting events. For a country that regularly hosts world exhibitions and sports tournaments, such tactics require a revision of security protocols and the integration of new protection technologies.
The activities of criminal groups. The danger for businesses and citizens also comes from organized criminal networks. Such threats require not only a swift police response but also close cooperation with the private sector, including owners of commercial establishments and security services.
Is it possible to see the list of Orange notices?
Orange Notice is not published in open access. It represents confidential information intended exclusively for law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and national bureaus of Interpol. Its purpose is the immediate notice of a real threat. For understandable reasons, access to this information is strictly limited. Publishing details could provoke panic or, even worse, give criminals the opportunity to adjust their actions.
What does this mean for citizens? First of all, that expecting the appearance of a list of orange notices on the Interpol website or in the news is pointless. The public simply does not have access to them, and this is done for security reasons. Instead, it is important for citizens and residents of the UAE to know how to act in case a threat is detected.
If a suspicious object is discovered in a public place, luggage, or transport, it is necessary to immediately report it to the UAE police. In Dubai and other emirates, the unified police number 999 operates around the clock. Additionally, you can use official mobile applications (Dubai Police), which allow you to quickly record the incident and transmit information to the competent authorities.
The process of removing the Orange notice
The term removal in relation to orange notices of Interpol is incorrect to use. In reality, it is about their cancellation or natural expiration. Such notices exist only as long as the threat remains relevant. Once it is eliminated or deemed insignificant, the notice becomes invalid.
The decision on cancellation is made by the General Secretariat after consultation with the initiating state. There are several typical scenarios in which the orange notice ceases to be valid.
Firstly, the threat can be neutralized. For example, if the criminals involved in transporting disguised weapons are arrested and the dangerous cargo is seized, the notice becomes unnecessary.
Secondly, information may become outdated. If data about a specific tactic or threat object no longer holds practical value, the notice is removed to avoid overloading databases.
Thirdly, cancellation is possible at the request of the initiating country. The state that initially approached Interpol with a proposal to issue a notice has the right to request its annulment if it considers that the threat no longer exists or was exaggerated.
Legal assistance in the UAE
Our lawyers help companies and individuals respond correctly to the appearance of information about an orange notice. We provide consultations on interactions with UAE law enforcement agencies, explain the specifics of Interpol’s international procedures, and assist clients at all stages: from cargo inspections to protecting business reputation.
We pay special attention to compliance and due diligence issues. Our specialists help businesses minimize risks in advance: they establish internal control procedures for AML/KYC, conduct legal checks of partners and counterparties, and develop recommendations for complying with international security standards. This allows companies to operate with increased transparency and avoid mistakes that could lead to inspections or delays.
If your business or activity is indirectly affected by an orange notice, whether it is suspicion of transporting hazardous cargo or the need to confirm the legality of your operations, we will provide full legal protection and a strategy for interaction with government authorities.
Contact our lawyers right now. We will help you handle any legal difficulties and ensure the protection of your interests in the international legal field.
