China Looks Inside the Mystery of Interpol’s Vanishing CEO
Local buzz on Sunday (Oct 7) told us that the Chinese government’s anti‑corruption squad, the National Supervisory Commission, is now on the clock for Meng Hongwei, the former head of Interpol who went MIA in France.
Right after his wife flagged him as missing – and a long‑time friend rapped the Chinese police – Beijing formally announced that Meng might be under investigation.
“Meng Hongwei, Vice‑Minister of Public Security, is currently under investigation by the National Supervisory Commission for suspected violations of law,” the agency posted in a terse note on its website.
Interpol takes the Next Step
- Interpol trumpeted Meng’s resignation as president on Sunday, with the organization appointing South Korean Kim Jong Yang as acting head.
- They also promised a new president will be installed at the upcoming Nov 18‑21 meeting in Dubai.
Interpol’s general secretary in Lyon reached out to Beijing seeking clarity on Meng’s whereabouts, but the French interior ministry still has radio silence.
In the meantime, the French police have taken up the “worrying disappearance” flag and are digging into the situation. They’re also safeguarding Meng’s wife after she received threatening calls.
Grace’s Telltale Video
A local TV station aired a shaky clip of Grace Meng—his wife—saying, “As long as I can’t see my husband in front of me, speaking to me, I can’t have any confidence.” The footage had her backing her face to the camera, almost like a covert operation.
She also proclaimed that the matter belongs to “my motherland” and it’s up to the international community to step in.
Reports surfaced that Meng not only sent her a text with a knife icon, implying danger, but also that he spoke to her with a trembling voice that made her feel, essentially, “I’m under threat.”
The Larger Picture
Meng’s 64‑year‑old appointment as Interpol president back in late 2016 was a stroke of Chinese diplomacy, amplifying Beijing’s influence in international crime‑fighting circles.
Each Interpol head is a national officer who keeps up their home job while steering the global policing community. Human rights watchdogs have long worried that certain national leaders could use the position to pursue political dissidents abroad.
With President Xi’s ongoing anti‑corruption drive, Chinese officials have historically lobbied for the extradition of alleged criminals—ranging from corruption to terrorism—from overseas. In this case, justice is a bit more elusive than usual.
Stay tuned, because the puzzle of Meng’s disappearance might just become the next headline‑making thriller… or simply a bureaucratic saga awaiting resolution.
