More than 4,500 ED raids in a decade: 9,500 crore rupees cash recovered, action in money laundering cases

In the last decade, action in corruption, hawala and money laundering cases has increased. There has been an unexpected increase in the number of raids and recovery of cash in the action of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to information provided by the government in Parliament and data from the ED, between May 2014 and August 2025, the investigating agency conducted over 4,500 raids nationwide. A record cash of more than Rs 9,500 crore was recovered in these raids. However, the fact is that the ED has been on the target of the opposition for its action. The opposition claims that most of the action is taken against the leaders of the opposition parties for political purposes. At the same time, the Supreme Court has also reprimanded the methods and has even said that the ED is crossing its limits.

During the UPA regime (2004 to 2014), the action of the ED was limited. During this period, 200 to 250 raids were conducted and the total cash recovery was around 800 to 900 crores. Then the priority of the ED was on hawala network and foreign exchange violations. Very few cases of large-scale cash seizure came to the fore. After 2014 ... especially after 2019, thousands of crores of cash were recovered in the action taken on political and business bases. In 2023, a record cash of more than Rs 300 crore was found in the raids conducted in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, which added a new chapter in the history of ED action. During 2023-24 alone, the state government has recovered more than Rs 100 crore. Large amounts of cash were seized in Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. In most of the actions, the names of leaders associated with Congress, Trinamool Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Nationalist Congress Party and Aam Aadmi Party came in the headlines.

Among the five biggest seizures of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the last decade, Rs 300 crore in cash was found in raids on coal and illegal mining networks in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in 2023. Apart from this, Rs 50 crore was recovered from the hideouts of Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal in 2022. Rs 40 crore in cash was recovered in raids related to mining scam in Uttar Pradesh in 2021, Rs 35 crore in action on hawala network in Delhi in 2020 and Rs 30 crore in alleged money laundering case in Jharkhand in 2024.

From MPs, MLAs, former ministers to senior IAS and IPS officers also came under the purview of ED action. In the last ten years, raids were conducted on the premises of MPs, MLAs and people associated with political parties more than 150 times, while action was also taken against 80 to 100 senior IAS, IPS and state service officers.

The cash seized in ED raids is deposited in the Reserve Bank of India. If the court accepts that the amount is earned from crime, it is added to the government's revenue. Until the final order of the court comes, the cash remains safe in the custody of the Reserve Bank.

The NDA government amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the year 2019 and gave the ED the right to raid, search and arrest the residence of the accused. After this, the ED started rapid actions. Earlier, the ED used to start investigation only after the sections of PMLA were imposed in the charge sheet of other agencies. Now the ED can itself register an FIR and arrest the accused.