The disciplinary organ of China's ruling Communist Party says the head of Interpol, a senior Chinese official who was under investigation on suspicion of unspecified legal violation, is dead.

The party's watchdog for graft and political disloyalty said on its website late Sunday that Meng Hongwei, China's vice minister of public security, was "suspected of violating the law and had been under the monitoring and investigation" of China's new anti-corruption body, the National Supervision Commission.

Meng's wife told reporters in the French city of Lyon on Sunday she hasn't heard from her husband since Sept. 25. She says he sent an image of knife that day, she thinks as a warning he was in danger.

Interpol, which is based in Lyon, said Saturday it made a formal request to China for information about Meng.