At the end of 2025, the news agenda was dominated by the question: “Is Andrey Burim (Mellstroy) wanted by Interpol?” The reason for this was reports about his search in Kazakhstan and then his own statements claiming that there was an Interpol request for his arrest.
Below is the factual picture based on published materials and official explanations, as well as a brief overview of how notifications (Notices) work and why the presence or absence of a card in Interpol’s public database doesn’t always prove something.
What is officially known about the search in Kazakhstan
- Information about the search appeared in government databases and the media
On November 16, 2025, several major media outlets reported that the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan (FMA) had put Andrey Burim (Mellstroy) on their wanted list. The reports indicated that the information appeared on the portal of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan (qamqor.gov.kz). Some materials clarified that the search case was registered on November 15, 2025, in the Astana region. - FMA disclosed the details of the suspicions and the preventive measure (according to the agency)
Later, Kazakhstani publications, citing the FMA, described the case: Burim is suspected of organizing a large-scale advertising campaign promoting online casinos, including challenges and social media content with the brand/logo/links mentioned. It was also reported that the court had chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention.
How the “Interpol wanted” claim appeared
Mellstroy’s statement on the air
In December 2025, the media reported that during a stream on the Kick platform, Mellstroy claimed that he was allegedly “wanted by Interpol” at Kazakhstan’s request, and that this had led to restrictions on his movements.
Important: At the level of public sources, this is described as a statement by the blogger himself, not as an official confirmation from Interpol.
What “Interpol wanted” means from a legal perspective
Red Notice: What is it?
INTERPOL clarifies that a Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and possibly detain an individual temporarily until extradition/surrender/other legal action. However, INTERPOL specifically emphasizes that a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.
Why “not visible in the database” is not an argument
There is a search feature on INTERPOL’s public website for published Red Notices, but the organization explicitly states that most Red Notices are restricted for law enforcement use and are not published.
This practical detail is confirmed by legal sources: many only learn about the existence of a notice when crossing a border because only a small portion of publications is available online.
How requests are checked
INTERPOL states that requests for Notices and Diffusions undergo checks for compliance with rules, including conformity with the INTERPOL Constitution and internal criteria (such as restrictions on political/military/religious/racial content).
From a practical perspective, there are three scenarios:
- There is a Red Notice, but it may not be publicly accessible (which is common).
- There is a national wanted list/international request, but without INTERPOL procedures (or without a Notice/Diffusion).
- There is a Diffusion (operational dissemination of information via INTERPOL’s closed channels), which is almost never public.
Therefore, the absence of a public card in INTERPOL’s database does not necessarily mean there is no active exchange between law enforcement agencies.
What this may mean for travel, borders, and checks
Even without a public notification card, the presence of a national wanted list and/or data exchange may result in:
- Additional checks at border crossings,
- Detentions “for clarification” (depending on the laws of the entering country),
- Requests for confirmation of status and documents.
INTERPOL specifically emphasizes: each country applies its own laws when deciding whether to detain a person.
