A geographically targeted search is a search carried out when the requesting country has firm evidence of the whereabouts of the wanted person or object within a restricted geographical area. In such circumstances a request from the judicial authority may be executed immediately on receipt.
Geographically targeted searches in the Schengen area shall take place on the basis of the alert in the SIS. The relevant M form, which shall be sent at time of creation of the alert or the obtaining of the information on whereabouts, shall include information on the whereabouts of the wanted person or object. An alert for the wanted person shall be entered in the SIS to ensure that a request for provisional arrest is immediately enforceable (Article 64 in the Convention and Article 9(3) of the Framework Decision on EAW).
Such an alert increases the chances of success, if the person or object moves unexpectedly from one place to another within the Schengen area. Cases where no alert is created shall be restricted to special circumstances, in particular if there is no sufficient information available to create an alert.
The services provided by special units that conduct targeted searches (FAST) shall also be used in suitable cases by SIRENE bureaux in the requested Member States. The alert in SIS cannot be replaced by international cooperation of the above mentioned police units. Such cooperation shall not overlap the SIRENE bureau’s role as a focal point for searches using the SIS.
Cooperation, as appropriate, shall be established to ensure that the SIRENE bureau of the issuing Member State is informed by their national FAST about any ongoing operation relating to an alert entered in the SIS. Where appropriate this SIRENE bureau shall provide this information to other SIRENE bureaux.
The SIRENE bureaux shall ensure fast flow of supplementary information, including information on a hit, to the national FAST if the latter is involved in the search.