South Africa says Interpol Red Notices for Gupta brothers remain active — Daily Maverick

South African authorities have stated that Interpol Red Notices for brothers Atul and Rajesh Gupta remain active. The brothers are also believed to be possibly in India. Acting South African Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said this in response to parliamentary questions, Daily Maverick reports.

The Gupta brothers are from India. The South African government considers them fugitives in connection with state capture cases during Jacob Zuma's presidency in 2009–2018. They denied involvement in these crimes. In early 2022, Interpol confirmed that Red Notices had been issued for them — requests to law enforcement agencies to locate a person and provisionally arrest them pending possible extradition.

Failed extradition from the UAE

In June 2022, the UAE informed South Africa that the brothers had been detained in Dubai. The following month, South African authorities submitted a formal request for their extradition and subsequently contacted the Emirati side repeatedly regarding the progress of the proceedings.

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In April 2023, then South African Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said that the authorities had learned that hearings at a Dubai court concluded on February 13, 2023, and that the extradition request had been unsuccessful. The court concluded that the UAE had jurisdiction to prosecute the money-laundering charge, while the arrest warrant in the fraud case had been cancelled. The brothers then left the UAE.

Contacts with India and the UAE

In 2025, then head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Andrea Johnson told parliament that South Africa had sent 12 diplomatic notes to the UAE but received no response regarding the reasons for the failed extradition. According to her, the Emirati side asked for the request to be resubmitted.

National Prosecuting Authority head Andy Mothibi recently said that the agency was engaging with authorities in the UAE and India through mutual legal assistance procedures. UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, during the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, stressed the importance of international judicial cooperation, direct communication and swift action in combating transnational crime.