Enforcement Directorate (ED) activities surged dramatically under the BJP-led government compared to the preceding UPA era, according to official data. Between April 2014 and March 2024, ED searches under the anti-money laundering law skyrocketed by 86 times, while arrests and asset attachments increased by about 25 times compared to the nine-year period from July 2005 to March 2014. This data reflects an intensified effort by the federal agency to combat serious financial crimes.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), implemented in 2005, aimed to curb tax evasion, black money generation, and money laundering. During the last decade, the ED initiated 5,155 PMLA cases, a significant rise from the 1,797 cases filed in the preceding period. Additionally, the agency secured its first conviction in fiscal year 2014 and has since convicted 63 individuals under the anti-money laundering law.
ED’s enforcement actions included 7,264 searches across the country during 2014–2024, compared to just 84 in the preceding period, marking an 86-fold increase. It also made 755 arrests and attached assets worth Rs 1,21,618 crore, demonstrating a substantial increase compared to the earlier period. Furthermore, the agency issued 1,971 provisional attachment orders and filed 1,281 prosecution complaints during the last decade, showing a significant escalation in its enforcement efforts.
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