May 1, 02:47 PM

India’s Enforcement Directorate Reports 1,700+ Money Laundering Cases in Trial, Returns 30,000 Crore Rupees, Plans Case Acceleration

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India reported that over 1,700 money laundering cases are currently in the trial stage, according to ED Director Rahul Navin. In the financial year 2024-25, the agency launched 775 new investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), filed 333 prosecution complaints, and secured convictions for 34 individuals. The ED returned assets worth over 30,000 crore rupees to victims and rightful owners under anti-money laundering provisions last year. Despite the momentum in PMLA actions since 2014 and a conviction rate exceeding 93%, the ED chief attributed delays in adjudication to the general judicial system's slow pace and the inherent complexity of such investigations. Additional Solicitor General Suryaprakash V Raju advised ED officials to use their power to arrest sparingly and avoid premature arrests that could jeopardize legal grounds during trials. The ED also plans to accelerate handling cases under PMLA and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), with a focus on fugitive assets. Separately, Rs 1.9 crore in demonetized currency was seized in Ahmedabad, with the Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax Department, and ED informed. Internationally, Switzerland saw a more than 25% increase in money laundering suspicion reports in 2024, with 15,141 reports, 92% of which originated from banking intermediaries.

#Enforcement Directorate #ED #India #Rahul Navin #PMLA #Foreign Exchange Management Act #FEMA #Ahmedabad #Reserve Bank of India #Income Tax Department #Switzerland

Written with ChatGPT (GPT-4).

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