Alert Issued for Arrest of Exiled Tunsian Dictator

Tunisia issued global alerts for ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali on Wednesday. The order to arrest Ben Ali and six of his relatives, including his wife, was issued by the Interpol network to all other 187 members countries, stated the international police organization press release.

The alert is to locate and provisionally arrest them with the intention of extraditing them back to Tunisia, the release states. A further diplomatic request for extradition will be made by Tunis after confirmation of their location.

The subjects of the alert, known as a diffusion, are wanted for "alleged property theft and the illegal transfer of foreign currency," according to Interpol's headquarters in Lyons, France. Their names were not released by Interpol.

After ruling Tunisia for 23 years, Ben Ali and his wife fled the country seeking refuge in Saudi Arabia.

Tunisian press agency (TAP) reports that an “investigation regarding illegal acquisition of property targets dozens of other individuals,” including his Ben Ali's wife, son- and brother-in-law.

Brother-in-law Belhassen Trabelsi arrived in Montreal, Canada, last Thursday, according to the Globe and Mail.