In a significant stride towards combating financial crime, India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured its first Interpol 'Purple Notice'. This notice, issued on August 21, 2025, marks a crucial breakthrough in flagging and addressing a newly discovered trade-based money laundering (TBML) network.

The Purple Notice is one of eight specialized alerts issued by Interpol, the world's largest international police organization, and has been circulated to all 196 member countries. It is specifically designed to share information on criminals' methods of operation, objects, devices, and concealment techniques. By publishing this notice, the ED aims to alert global law enforcement agencies to the sophisticated laundering mechanism it has unearthed, which exploits global trade and banking systems.

According to the ED's investigation, an organized network of domestic and foreign shell entities was involved in large-scale laundering of funds under the guise of legitimate international trade. The conspirators manipulated trade documentation and banking channels through various means, including: * Under-invoicing imports * Claiming sham duty-free imports, such as semiconductors * Forging compliance documents * Executing circular re-exports through third-country entities

This elaborate scheme created a false narrative of cross-border commerce while concealing illicit remittances. Investigators explained that the method exhibited characteristics similar to "hawala," but operated through formal banking systems, shell companies, and forged trade documentation to evade regulatory detection. The ED emphasized that the Purple Notice reflects its proactive approach to tackling money laundering that extends beyond national borders. Money laundering is a transborder crime with global consequences, and sharing timely intelligence and methodologies is key to countering such threats.

The ED's initiative in publishing its first Purple Notice underscores India's growing leadership in international financial intelligence. By strengthening informal cooperation with international counterparts through networks such as the Globe Network and the Asset Recovery Interagency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP), the notice reinforces India's role in shaping global financial crime policies and preventing jurisdictions from becoming safe havens for illicit wealth. The ED views the publishing of the Purple Notice as an attempt to generate awareness and sensitize its global counterparts to these new and emerging money laundering trends.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is a law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency in India responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crimes. It operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. The ED's primary mandate is to enforce the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). The agency can investigate potential violations, impose fines, and seize assets.