2 min readNew DelhiMay 2, 2026 05:17 AM IST
The ED has sent 353 Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs) or Letters Rogatory (LRs) to foreign jurisdictions to seek evidence, trace money trails and pursue extradition-related assistance in cases involving fugitive economic offenders. The top six destinations were the United Arab Emirates (69), Singapore (55), the United Kingdom (39), Hong Kong (36), the United States (26) and Switzerland (23).
The ED’s annual report, released on Friday, states that these formal requests facilitate international cooperation, including gathering evidence admissible in judicial proceedings, tracing money trails, and examining suspects, accused persons or witnesses abroad. The report comes as the agency marks the 70th year since its establishment on May 1, 1956. “The volume of LRs and MLARs sought by the ED has grown considerably in recent years. Till March 31 this year, 353 such requests remain pending,” the report noted.
Of the total pending requests sent by the ED, 15 were sent to Mauritius, eight to Australia, six each to China and the Isle of Man, five to the British Virgin Islands, and 65 to other countries.
The report also said the ED had received 246 similar requests from other countries by March 31. Of these, 79 came from the UK, 33 from Singapore, 32 from the US, seven from France, six from Australia and 89 from other countries. Only 19 of the requests received by the agency remained unexecuted.
ED Director Rahul Navin said attachments under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have risen sharply over the years. In the first decade after the law came into force, from 2005 to 2014, total attachments stood at Rs 5,171.32 crore, averaging about Rs 574.6 crore annually. In the following decade, from 2014 to 2024, this rose to Rs 1,19,386.25 crore.
“In 2024-25, the ED attached properties worth Rs 30,036.41 crore, while in 2025-26 the figure rose to Rs 81,422.63 crore. Attachments in a single financial year are now more than fifteen times the cumulative total of the Act’s first decade,” Navin said.
