The Enforcement Directorate has set an 18-month target for completing economic crime investigations, replacing the four- to five-year timeframe that currently applies to many probes, while also announcing a major expansion of its staffing and field network from January 2027.
The decisions were taken at the agency’s 36th Quarterly Conference of Zonal Officers, held in Bengaluru on September 14 and 15. ED director Rahul Navin chaired the conference at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, which was attended by senior officials from the agency’s headquarters and field formations. A management and leadership workshop preceded the meeting on September 13.
Under a cadre restructuring plan approved by the Centre, the ED’s sanctioned strength will increase from 2,029 to 3,256 posts, a rise of nearly 60%. The agency’s field network will expand to 50 zones under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and five dedicated zones under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Its functional units will increase from 131 to 241. The new structure is scheduled to be implemented from January 1, 2027.
The agency has also directed its zones to identify at least 10 high-profile cases in each region where trials and convictions could be completed within six to eight months. It has called for closer coordination with state police and other enforcement agencies in cases involving organised financial crime.
Asset recovery was another major focus of the conference. The ED said restitution of attached and confiscated assets had crossed Rs 73,800 crore across 76 cases. Officials have been instructed to pursue restitution more aggressively and ensure that attached properties are properly valued and geo-tagged. The measures are intended to improve the process through which assets recovered in economic offence cases are restored to victims.
The conference also addressed newer forms of financial crime involving artificial intelligence, deepfakes, cybercrime and cryptocurrencies. Sessions examined data analytics in investigations, cyber-forensic capabilities and virtual digital asset transactions. Officials discussed methods used to conceal illicit fund movements, including chain-hopping, mixers and cross-chain bridges.
The agency further emphasised the need to protect confidential case material from data leaks, including risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence tools. The concern adds a data-security dimension to the ED’s proposed expansion of technology-led investigations.
To improve information sharing, the agency proposed closer links with state police, the Central Bureau of Investigation, customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Discussions also covered the integration of crime-reporting systems with platforms such as the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems and NATGRID to support coordination and generate alerts.
For court-related delays, the ED approved measures including a live dashboard tracking trial pendency, regular monitoring of long-pending matters and a standardised system for recording the progress of prosecution complaints. The conference concluded with a roadmap focused on faster investigations, stronger forensic capabilities, quicker trials and continued efforts to restore illicit assets to victims.
