India Issues First INTERPOL Purple Notice to Combat Trade-Based Money Laundering

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India has issued its inaugural Purple Notice through INTERPOL, targeting an intricate trade-based money laundering (TBML) network involving criminal elements. Published on August 21, 2025, the Purple Notice represents a significant step in India’s efforts to tackle complex financial crimes that extend across international borders. This notice, disseminated by the General Secretariat in Lyon, provides crucial intelligence to all 196 member countries. It outlines the methods, tools, and concealment tactics employed by these criminal organizations in TBML schemes. While not an arrest warrant, the notice serves to alert international agencies about illicit practices, fostering the exchange of vital information. The ED’s investigation unveiled a network of shell companies operating both within and outside India, facilitating money laundering through international trade. These entities exploited trade mechanisms and banking channels, including under-invoicing imports, manufacturing duty-free imports, and fabricating documentation to feign compliance, alongside circular re-exports and other methods designed to obscure the financial flows.