The president of Interpol resigns; Detained in China for corruption: NPR

Interpol's president, Meng Hongwei, resigned after being arrested by Chinese authorities who charge him with corruption. The upheaval came a few days after Meng's wife declared that the career policeman had disappeared; a week ago, he left France to visit his native China.

Interpol said Meng had resigned from his post on Sunday, "with immediate effect". The same day, his wife, Grace, told reporters in Lyon – where Interpol is based – that she had received a disturbing text message from her husband's phone: an emoji knife. It was a disturbing sequel to a previous message, which had asked him to wait for Meng to call.

Chinese Minister of Public Security, Zhao Kezhi, said Monday that Meng was under investigation for allegations of corruption – charges that he did not describe in detail. Zhao said his ministry supported the investigation; he also spoke of the importance of fidelity to the ideals of the Communist Party.

"We must profoundly acknowledge the serious damage caused by the bribes and alleged violations of the law committed by Meng Hongwei and the cause of public security, and learn from this lesson," Zhao said in a statement. translation from the Associated Press.

This extraordinary case has made headlines around the world. It also prompted Interpol, the largest police organization in the world, to ask China for an explanation. On Saturday, Interpol said that Secretary General Jürgen Stock had sent an official request to China in the hope of clarifying the legal status of its president. A day later, Interpol announced that it had received Meng's letter of resignation, halving his four-year term.

"Observers in China have stated that the fact that Beijing is willing to compromise its diplomatic relations by stopping Meng in this way suggests that the stakes are high," said NPR's Rob Schmitz in Shanghai. "Meng has been appointed deputy minister of the Chinese National Police by Zhou Yongkang, former security tsar in China, jailed after Xi Jinping became China's leader."

When Zhao announced on Monday the corruption case, he said that Zhou had left a poisoned influence to the ministry – an influence that needed to be cleaned up. Zhou was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015, after pleading guilty to bribery and disclosure of state secrets.

While he was the president of Interpol, Mr. Meng retained his role as China's vice minister of public security – a job that he no longer has, according to the list of ministry online officials. The biography page of Meng, who previously described his leadership experience with China's Counter-Terrorism Bureau, was also removed from the site.

Meng reportedly disappeared about a week after leaving Lyon for China where he lived with his family since 2016, when Meng became Interpol's first Chinese president. The case quickly raised suspicions that Meng could be investigated, especially after it was discovered that Meng had been fired from the Communist Party Committee of the Ministry of the Interior. Public Safety – an important role that he had held earlier this year.

With the resignation of Meng, Interpol will be headed by Kim Jong Yang, from South Korea, who will assume the duties of president until a new election is held next month. According to the organization, while the presidency focuses on global priorities, its day-to-day operations are overseen by Stock, its secretary general.

Interpol has 192 member countries; the organization allows police services to collaborate and share resources through a network of national offices. It is planned that its Annual General Meeting will be held in Dubai from 18 to 21 November.