In a move to combat international financial crime, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India has issued its first INTERPOL Purple Notice, focusing on a complex trade-based money laundering (TBML) scheme. The notice, published on August 21, 2025, is part of India’s intensified efforts to address sophisticated financial crimes that transcend national boundaries. The Purple Notice, distributed to all 196 member countries through the General Secretariat in Lyon, offers comprehensive information on the tactics used by criminal organizations in TBML. It provides critical details on their methods, tools, and strategies for concealing their illicit activities. While the notice does not function as an arrest warrant, it alerts international agencies about illegal practices and promotes the timely exchange of intelligence. The ED’s investigation revealed an elaborate network of shell companies operating both within India and abroad, facilitating money laundering through international trade. This included exploiting trade mechanisms and banking channels, such as under-invoicing imports, manipulating duty-free imports, producing fabricated documents, and engaging in circular re-exports and other methods to obfuscate the flow of funds.
