ED issued first 'Purple Notice' from Interpol in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has secured the publication of its first Interpol-issued 'Purple Notice' in a trade-based money laundering case.

The notice was issued by the Lyon-based global police body on August 21, the federal probe agency said in a statement.

The 'Purple Notice' is one of eight types of notices published by Interpol. It provides its 196 member countries with information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.

"The publishing of the Purple Notice is an attempt of Enforcement Directorate at generating awareness and sensitising its global counterparts to these new emerging money laundering trends," it said.

The probe, in which the notice was issued, pertains to an organised network of domestic and foreign shell entities engaged in "large-scale" laundering of funds under the guise of international trade.

The conspirators exploited trade mechanisms and banking channels by under-invoicing imports, using sham duty-free imports (such as semiconductors), forging compliance documents, and carrying out circular re-exports through third-country entities to disguise illicit remittances, it said.

"The circular trading created a false narrative of international commerce, masking large-scale laundering of funds.

"The scheme exhibited hawala-like features but operated through formal banking systems, shell companies, and forged trade documentation to evade regulatory detection," the ED said.