Centre Approves Major Expansion of Enforcement Directorate Workforce

New Delhi, May 2026 : The Central government on Wednesday approved a major expansion of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sanctioning more than 1,200 additional investigators and staff to strengthen the anti-money laundering agency’s operational capabilities.

The restructuring marks the first major overhaul of the ED in nearly 15 years and is aimed at boosting the agency’s ability to investigate financial crimes and enforce key economic laws.

According to a notification issued by the Finance Ministry, the total sanctioned strength of the Directorate will increase from 2,029 personnel to 3,256.

The expansion includes the addition of 803 Assistant Enforcement Officers, 606 Enforcement Officers and 531 Assistant Directors of Enforcement, significantly strengthening the agency’s investigation and enforcement framework.

Officials said the move is intended to enhance the ED’s effectiveness in implementing stringent laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA).

The agency is responsible for investigating offences related to money laundering, economic fraud and foreign exchange violations. Apart from enforcing the criminal provisions of the PMLA and FEOA, the ED also implements the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Government sources said the increased manpower would help the Directorate deal more efficiently with the growing number of complex financial investigations, cross-border transactions and cases involving economic offenders.

The ED, which has emerged as one of the country’s most prominent investigative agencies in recent years, traces its origins back to May 1, 1956. It was initially established as an “Enforcement Unit” under the Department of Economic Affairs to handle violations of exchange control laws under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947.

At the time of its formation, the unit was headquartered in Delhi and headed by a Legal Service Officer designated as the Director of Enforcement. The team also included an officer on deputation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and three inspectors from the Special Police Establishment. Initially, the agency operated through two branches located in Bombay, now Mumbai, and Calcutta, now Kolkata.

In 1957, the unit was renamed as the Enforcement Directorate, and a third branch office was established in Madras, now Chennai.

Later, in 1960, the administrative control of the Directorate was shifted from the Department of Economic Affairs to the Department of Revenue under the Finance Ministry.

Officials believe the latest restructuring will significantly improve the agency’s ability to handle large-scale financial crimes and strengthen India’s fight against money laundering and fugitive economic offenders.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)