INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
An investigation into Meng Hongwei's disappearance was launched on October 5
investigation for possible criminal activity, and the world police organisation said he had resigned.The revelations came as Meng Hongwei's
wife voiced concern for his life after receiving a final text message from his phone with a knife emoji.Beijing had remained tight-lipped
about the fate of Meng, who is also China's vice minister for public security, since his disappearance was disclosed by French officials on
Friday.The National Supervisory Commission, which handles corruption cases involving public servants, broke the official silence early
Monday, saying in a one-line statement that Meng "is currently under investigation on suspicion of violating the law".Soon after, Interpol
said it had received Meng's resignation "with immediate effect", and that the body will elect a new president at its general assembly next
month.It is the latest high-profile disappearance in China, where a number of top government officials, billionaire business magnates and
even an A-list celebrity have vanished for weeks or months at a time.When -- or if -- they reappear, it is often in court.Meng, the first
Chinese president of Interpol, was last heard from on September 25 as he left Lyon -- where the world police body is based -- for China.The
agency's secretary general Juergen Stock, who oversees day-to-day operations, had said Saturday that it was seeking "clarification" on his
whereabouts from Chinese authorities.French police had opened an investigation into Meng's disappearance last week, according to a source
close to the inquiry.Meng, 64, had lived with his wife and two children in France since being elected Interpol president in 2016.Danger
emojiSpeaking to reporters in France on Sunday, Meng's wife Grace said she had received a message from his phone containing a knife emoji
before his disappearance.That day, she said he sent a message telling her to "wait for my call", before sending the emoji signifying
danger."This matter belongs to the international community," she told a press conference."I'm not sure what has happened to him," she
said.Later, upon learning about the announcement from China's anti-graft commission, she told AFP that her husband's case will be under the
watch of "international law and international public opinion", describing the situation as "political ruin".China's recently established
National Supervisory Commission holds sweeping powers to investigate the country's public servants with few requirements for
transparency.Although the commission did not detail the allegations against Meng, its mandate is to investigate corruption cases as part of
Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign.Some critics of the effort -- which has punished more than one million officials -- say
it also functions as a tool for Xi to eliminate his political rivals.Red noticesMeng rose up the ranks of the country's domestic security
apparatus when it was under the leadership of Zhou Yongkang, a rival to Xi and the highest-ranking official to be brought down on corruption
charges.Zhou -- who was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 -- was subsequently accused of conspiring to seize state power and authorities
have continued working to root out his influence.He appointed Meng vice security minister in 2004.In that role, Meng has been entrusted with
a number of sensitive portfolios, including the country's counter-terrorism division, and he was in charge of the response to several major
incidents in China's fractious western region of Xinjiang.Critics of Meng's 2016 election to Interpol's presidency said he would use the
position to help China target dissidents abroad under the guise of pursuing corrupt officials.Interpol has downplayed the concerns, saying
the president has little influence over the organisation's day-to-day operations, which are handled by secretary general Stock, a German.The
Chinese effort to track down corrupt officials abroad, known as Operation Fox Hunt, has led to claims in some countries that Chinese
law-enforcement agents have been operating covertly on their soil without the approval or consent of local authorities.China currently has
44 outstanding red notices, mostly related to murder, intentional injury and drug smuggling, according to Interpol's website.During Meng's
tenure, Interpol issued a red notice for fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, who threatened to reveal corruption at the country's
highest levels.Authorities in China and Hong Kong have accused Guo, a real estate tycoon who resides in the United States, of laundering
billions of dollars among other crimes.
