Ben Keith writes for New Law Journal: “Interpol: Seeing Red?” The article was first published in the New Law Journal on 24 October 2025.
Ben Keith co-authored an article with Rhys Davies, Temple Garden Chambers, for the New Law Journal. In their article “Interpol: Seeing Red?”, they examine the case of the Tinder Swindler, showing the power of Interpol red notices and discuss what happens when notices are used improperly.
In Brief:
- Simon Leviev, also known as the Tinder Swindler, was arrested in Georgia on an Interpol red notice, showing that the system can work when nations cooperate and act.
- A red notice is an electronic notification, indicating that one state is seeking the location, arrest and possible extradition of an individual, although jurisdictions respond to them in different ways.
- The system remains vulnerable to manipulation and abuse, with extensive documentation of misuse by authoritarian regimes.
Interpol and red notices returned to international headlines this September following the arrest of Simon Leviev, the notorious ‘Tinder Swindler’, at Batumi International Airport in Georgia. Detained immediately upon arrival on an Interpol red notice, Leviev’s case has reignited attention on international law enforcement mechanisms that can reach across borders, while simultaneously exposing the complexities and vulnerabilities inherent in these systems. The convicted fraudster, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, gained international notoriety through the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which exposed how he allegedly swindled women across Europe out of an estimated $10m through elaborate romance scams. Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest was executed pursuant to an Interpol red notice, though the specific charges initially remained unclear even to Leviev’s lawyers. His arrest represents a significant development in a case that has frustrated authorities across multiple jurisdictions for years. Despite serving a brief sentence in Israel after being arrested in Greece in 2019, Leviev had been travelling freely across international borders. The problem with red notices is not their existence, but their enforcement. Unless countries act quickly and consistently, individuals can avoid justice almost indefinitely.
Understanding Interpol
Red notices are often misunderstood, partly due to their dramatic portrayal in popular culture. Films and television series often depict Interpol as an international crimebusting squad, with officers patrolling borders and investigating crimes. In reality, Interpol neither conducts investigations nor makes arrests. It functions solely as an information-sharing network connecting police agencies in 196 member states. Formally known as the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol facilitates cooperation by maintaining databases and distributing notices. When someone like Leviev is said to be ‘arrested by Interpol’, the arrest actually occurs because local authorities discover an active notice during a routine check and detain the individual under domestic law.
The full article can be read on the New Law Journal website. The online article sits behind the NLJ paywall, non-subscribers can access it free of charge by entering their name and email address - click here for a free access link.
Ben Keith is a leading barrister specialising in cross-border and international cases. He deals with all aspects of extradition, immigration, human rights, mutual legal assistance, Interpol, financial crime and international law, including sanctions. He represents governments, political and military leaders, high net worth individuals, human rights defenders and business leaders in the most sensitive cases. He is a leading authority on the removal of Interpol Red Notices for worldwide clients. He edits the Red Notice Monitor blog.
Ben has extensive experience of appellate proceedings before the Administrative and Divisional Courts, Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court as well as applications and appeals to the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations.
Ben has significant expertise in post-soviet states, as well the Middle East and the Far East.
He is ranked in Chambers and Partners as a star leader in the field of extradition at the London Bar and in The Legal 500 as a Tier 1 leading individual in extradition. Ben is also ranked in Chambers and Partners in the field of immigration and in its Financial Crime: High Net Worth Individuals rankings. He is recognised in The Spears’ 500 2024 Guide as a ‘Recommended Immigration Law Barrister’.
