The president of Interpol has reportedly vanished after going to China

Jeff Pachoud/Pool via Reuters

Interpol President Meng Hongwei in Lyon, France, in May 2018.

• Interpol President Meng Hongwei has reportedly gone missing.
• Interpol is the international policing agency, which helps officers in different jurisdictions pursue criminals worldwide.
• His wife said she hadn't heard from him since he traveled to China on September 29, Reuters reported.
• Police in France - where Interpol is headquartered - opened an investigation into his whereabouts, the Reuters added.

The director of Interpol has gone missing after traveling to China last week, multiple outlets report.

Meng Hongwei, a Chinese national, was reported missing after going to his home country on September 29, Reuters reported, citing unnamed French judicial sources.

Meng's wife contacted police in Lyon - where the couple lives and where Interpol is based - after not hearing from her husband since he traveled to the country, Reuters said.

French police have since opened an investigation into his whereabouts.

Meng, who previously served as China's vice minister of public security, was elected to lead the international police organization in 2016. His term is expected to run until 2020, according to Interpol's website.

Rights groups previously said that Beijing could use Meng's position to arrest and deport its critics abroad.

Business Insider has contacted Interpol, the French Ministry of Justice, and the Chinese Embassy in London for comment.