ED ties up with Guj forensic univ for effective money laundering, forex probes

The Enforcement Directorate has tied up with a premier forensic science university in Gujarat to bolster its cyber and digital probe capabilities and meet the challenges posed by complicated money laundering and FEMA cases.

ED Director Karnal Singh signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Forensic Science University during his visit to the state last week, an official said.

The university was represented by its director general J M Vyas.

The ED official said the MoU aims to synergize efforts of the central probe agency with the institute to crack sensitive and high-profile cases having cyber and digital forensics angle.

The deal is a brain child of the ED director, who wanted that the emerging challenges and new technology advancements in this domain should be known to his investigators for effective legal preparation and appreciation of a case.

Singh, who has served in the Delhi Police and headed its special cell, had initiated these measures for the policemen who guard the national capital.

"The ED is facing a challenge in its process of investigations while dealing with digitally-stored data. As cyber forensics is a relatively new field, it is an utmost necessity that ED officials are versed with digital evidences and their extraction," the agency said in a statement.

"This collaboration aims at providing regular exchange of information, innovation, knowledge, technological developments and skills development which contribute to mutual benefits of the institutions," the ED said.

The university will prepare tailor-made course capsules for ED officials and the two organisations will exchange information on research and educational programmes.

"The MoU also provides for recruitment of interns from GFSU for ED's central and regional cyber labs. As cyber forensics is a relatively new field, it is an utmost necessity that ED officials are well versed with digital evidences and their extraction," it said.

The ED, as part of its cyber investigations mandate into money laundering and forex violations investigations, has set up cyber labs at five locations in Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata along with a central cyber lab in Delhi.

"The MoU will be a big step for ED in effective money laundering investigations as it will result in trained manpower in the field of digital and cyber forensics, faster analysis of seized digital data and development of advanced infrastructure facilities," the agency said.

The ED, that functions under the Union Finance Ministry, is working on a number of high-value money laundering, terror financing and forex violations cases (probed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act).