ED to zonal heads: Use Natgrid to file 500 chargesheets this fiscal

NEW DELHI: At a high-level meeting of all senior-level officers of Enforcement Directorate in Guwahati last week, which was chaired by director Rahul Navin, all zonal offices were asked to expedite the filing of chargesheets so that the central agency can achieve its target of filing 500 prosecution complaints (chargesheets) in this financial year, which will come to a close in a little over a month's time.

Senior officials from other central agencies such as Narcotics Control Bureau, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and from Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India were called to make presentations on the trends in financial crimes, cases of digital arrest, organised online frauds and cross-border anti-India activities.

As some officers highlighted non-cooperation from some state govts, ED director Rahul Navin asked his zonal heads to enhance use of intelligence platforms such as Natgrid and Finnet, have greater recourse to international cooperation mechanisms and make efforts to diversify case typologies in line with emerging risks.

Officers were advised to coordinate with Customs and other agencies concerned to detect illicit capital outflows disguised as legitimate trade transactions, to identify proceeds of crime related to predicate offences.

Guwahati was also chosen as the venue for ED's quarterly conference given the increasing anti-India activities from neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh.

In the last two to three years, the directorate has significantly expanded its footprint in the North-East, opening six new offices and establishing a presence in almost all states of the region, which has witnessed rising cases of cybercrime and drug trafficking.

In Sept last year, CBI conducted its quarterly conference in Srinagar.

According to the officer, the intent behind organising the high-level meet there was "to restore confidence in the security environment of the Union territory after the unfortunate terrorist attack at Pahalgam a few months earlier". It was done to show that J&K remains a safe, vibrant and forward-looking venue for national and international level deliberations, the officer added.

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