The Enforcement Directorate has reported a staggering 170 per cent surge in asset attachments, reaching ₹81,422 crore in the last financial year (FY26), underscoring its intensified efforts against financial crimes and its significant role in restituting funds to victims.
Key Points
- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached assets worth ₹81,422 crore in FY26, a 170 per cent increase from the previous year, bringing the total to ₹2.36 trillion.
- The ED has restituted ₹63,142 crore to victims and rightful owners, including banks, investors and homebuyers, utilising non-conviction-based confiscation provisions under PMLA.
- The Directorate filed 812 prosecution complaints under PMLA in FY26, nearly double the previous year, with over 41 per cent of all complaints filed in the last two years.
- The ED boasts a 94 per cent conviction rate and has initiated proceedings against 54 individuals under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, confiscating properties worth ₹2,178 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets of over ₹81,000 crore during the last financial year (FY26), an increase of 170 per cent over the previous year.
The total provisional attachments done by ED so far now stand at ₹2.36 trillion. Announcing the figures at the Directorate's 70th Foundation Day event in New Delhi, ED Director Rahul Navin said: 'I am happy to report that during the last financial year, ED has attached assets of ₹81,422 crore, an increase of 170 per cent over the previous year. The total provisional attachments done by ED so far now stand at ₹2,36,017 crore.'
Restitution to Victims and Legal Framework
In the normal course, Director Navin said confiscation of proceeds of crime and the resultant restitution to the victims of crime can take place only after the conclusion of the trial and the conviction of the accused, which in many cases takes a long time.
To address this, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was amended in 2019 to provide for non-conviction-based confiscation (NCBC) and restitution of the criminal proceeds during trial on satisfaction of certain conditions.
'The Directorate has used these provisions to restitute ₹63,142 crore to the victims and rightful owners, such as banks, investors and homebuyers. Behind every one of these figures is a family or institution that had lost hope of recovering what was rightfully theirs,' Director Navin said.
In a landmark real estate matter in Udaipur, the ED facilitated the release of attached properties to over 200 homebuyers, an effort that drew appreciation from the Supreme Court.
In the case of PACL Limited, assets worth approximately ₹15,581 crore have been restituted through the Justice R M Lodha Committee for distribution to hundreds of thousands of investors, he said.
Increased Enforcement and Conviction Rates
The ED filed 812 prosecution complaints, including 155 supplementary complaints under the PMLA, during this financial year -- nearly twice that of the previous year.
To put this in perspective, out of all the prosecution complaints ever filed by the ED, over 41 per cent have been filed in just the last two years.
The ED has a conviction rate of 94 per cent and is confident that out of more than 2,400 cases now pending before trial courts, most will result in the conviction of the accused and the confiscation of proceeds of crime.
Under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, proceedings have been initiated against 54 individuals, with 21 declared as Fugitive Economic Offenders. Properties worth ₹2,178 crore have been confiscated under the Act.
Evolving Criminal Landscape and Institutional Reforms
Director Navin said that a few years ago, enforcement work was centred predominantly on bank frauds, large corporate scams, and real estate frauds.
Sustained action by investigative agencies, complemented by landmark government initiatives has brought about a visible decline in such offences.
'Today, the criminal landscape is defined by cryptocurrency fraud, cyber-enabled financial crimes, terror financing, anti-national activities, and narcotics trafficking. The Directorate has proactively adapted to this shift. We have accorded high priority to narcotics-related investigations, adopting a targeted financial disruption strategy...' he added.
On the institutional front, the Directorate introduced several measures to enhance transparency and accountability.
A QR code-based system has been implemented to verify summons issued by the Directorate through the official web site, thereby preventing misuse, impersonation, and circulation of fake summons by unscrupulous elements.
All legacy cases under the repealed Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) have been adjudicated, and the Directorate hopes that in the next few months, all criminal cases will also be disposed of.
Renewed focus was given to reducing the pendency of FEMA adjudication. Since FEMA is a civil offence, most investigations undertaken by ED can be compounded.
Proactive action has been taken in coordination with the RBI for compounding and for bringing certainty and finality to the investigations initiated by the Directorate.
International Cooperation
On the international front, India now chairs the Steering Group of ARIN-AP, the Asia/Pacific Asset Recovery Interagency Network, and will host its Annual General Meeting in 2026.
The country is also preparing to host the GlobE Plenary in 2028. The Enforcement Directorate will serve as the focal point for the BRICS asset recovery network during India's chairmanship in 2026.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
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