ED to pivot strategy towards core mandate

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has decided to realign its strategy by focusing more on its core mandate — attaching proceeds of crime to prevent offenders from benefiting from them —amid criticism over its low conviction rate, people familiar with the development have said.

- Neeraj Chauhan

According to a senior ED officer, the federal financial crimes probe agency has attached over ₹30,000 crore of property as proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in financial year 2024-25, compared with ₹12,477 in 2023-24. In the first five months (April to August) of FY2025-26, the agency has already attached properties worth ₹15,000 crore, the officer added. Officials aware of the matter said the numbers could go even higher this year.

The PMLA was enacted in 2002 and implemented from July 1, 2005, to check serious crimes of tax evasion, generation of black money and money laundering. ‘Since 2005, ED has attached assets worth a whopping ₹1.69 lakh crore under the PMLA in 8,092 cases.