New Delhi, May 2: Arrests made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in money laundering cases declined by around 27 per cent during the financial year 2025–26, even as the agency carried out record-breaking raids and attached assets worth over ₹81,000 crore, according to its latest annual report.
Data accessed from the report reveals that the ED arrested 156 individuals in FY26, compared to 214 in FY25 and 272 in FY24. The agency attributed the drop to a shift towards more “targeted and evidence-based investigations.”
Despite fewer arrests, enforcement activity intensified significantly. Searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) nearly doubled to 2,892 during FY26, up from 1,491 in the previous fiscal.
The agency also recorded its highest-ever provisional attachment of assets, issuing 712 orders involving properties worth ₹81,422 crore—a 171 per cent increase compared to ₹30,036 crore across 461 orders in FY25. The ED described asset attachment as a “central instrument” to deprive offenders of illicit gains.
In a major achievement, the ED surpassed its restitution target by a wide margin, restoring assets worth ₹32,678 crore to victims of fraud, more than double its initial goal of ₹15,000 crore. A substantial portion of this came from the PACL ponzi scheme case, where ₹15,582 crore was returned.
The report further highlighted improved efficiency in investigations, with the ED filing a record 812 prosecution complaints during FY26, up from 457 in the previous year. The average duration for completing cases has also been reduced from 3–4 years to around 1–1.5 years.
Additionally, the number of Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), which initiate PMLA investigations, rose by 39 per cent to 1,080 cases in FY26, compared to 775 in FY25.
The ED also expanded its international cooperation efforts. As of March 31, 2026, a total of 353 requests under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) and Letters Rogatory (LRs) were pending, with the highest number involving countries like the UAE, Singapore, the UK, and the US. Meanwhile, India received 246 such requests from foreign jurisdictions, with the UK leading the list.
The annual report underscores the ED’s growing reliance on financial intelligence, including blockchain analytics and real-time data access, to track complex money laundering networks and expedite investigations. (KNC)
