Artículo The last emoji interpol chief shared before going silent for the last 12 days in China News

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The last emoji interpol chief shared before going silent for the last 12 days in China

Meng Hongwei was reported missing last week.

Harry Davies

08 Octubre 2018 13:15

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) mysteriously received the resignation “with immediate effect”of its chief, Meng Hongwei, after he had been missing for 12 days.

Alarm was raised about Meng’s absence when his wife, Grace Meng, received a knife emoji sent from his phone on WhatsApp. She believed it could mean her husband was in danger. Four minutes earlier, he had sent a message telling her to “Wait for my call”.

She has not heard from her husband since, despite usually being in daily contact during his work trips.

Meng’s whereabouts were unknown until Chinese authorities released a curt statement on Sunday shortly after Grace Meng came forward to say she had received the concerning message. The statement explained that he was being detained by a state anti-corruption body for suspected “violations of the law”.

Interpol’s secretary general, Jürgen Stock, called for proper “clarification” on the issue after no further information was shared. The organisation said it is now up to the appropriate authorities in France, where Interpol is based, and China to resolve the issue.

Meng’s wife appeared in a press conference with her back to the cameras, anxious to protect her identity and the safety of her two children, calling on the international community to find her husband.

“I don’t know what has happened to him,” she said. “For as long as I can’t see my husband face to face speaking to me, I can’t be very positive.”

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