French police have opened an investigation after Interpol president Meng Hongwei was reported missing.
Meng was last seen leaving for his native China from Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, at the end of September. His wife alerted authorities to Meng’s disappearance after not hearing from him since his departure.
The South China Morning Postreports that, while Meng did arrive in China, he was “taken away” for questioning by Chinese authorities upon arrival. The reason for the investigation into Meng and his current whereabouts are not known, according to the Post. Meng had served as vice president of public security in China prior to being elected head of Interpol in late 2016.
French police said the public prosecutor in Lyon was handling the case of Meng’s disappearance. For its part, Interpol said in a statement that it is “aware of media reports in connection with the alleged disappearance of Interpol President Meng Hongwei.”
Noting that it is a “matter for the relevant authorities in both France and China,” Interpol said it would not offer any further comments.