ED registered more than 5,200 money-laundering cases since 2014: Govt

More than 5,200 money-laundering cases have been registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with convictions obtained in 40 and acquittal in three since 2014, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

The data was provided by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

A total of 5,297 cases were lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED between 2014 and 2024, the data said.

It said 40 cases resulted in conviction during the said period.

However, one case resulted in acquittal during this year while two cases led to acquittals in 2017, the data shared by the minister showed.

A total of 375 accused are currently under arrest under the anti-money laundering law for the period between 2016 and 2024, he stated.

Rai also provided similar data for cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), apart from acquittals and convictions under the anti-terror law between 2014 and 2022.

A total of 8,719 UAPA cases were registered by the state and central agencies in the said period, resulting in 567 acquittals and 222 convictions, the data showed.

The rate of conviction obtained in money laundering cases by the the Enforcement Directorate is 93 per cent, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

A total of 7,083 ECIRs or Enforcement Case Information Reports have been filed by the agency till July 31, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha.

"The rate of conviction obtained under PMLA is around ninety-three per cent," he said.

PMLA stands for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and it was enacted in 2002 and implemented from July 1, 2005.

The minister also said that assets worth more than Rs 1.39 trillion were either seized, frozen or attached under the law.

"The total value of proceeds seized under PMLA is approximately Rs 3,725.76 crore, frozen under PMLA is approximately Rs 4,651.68 crore and attached under PMLA is approximately Rs 1,31,375 crore," the minister said.