**Executive Summary**
This report details the Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) investigation into 257 cybercrime-related money laundering cases, identifying proceeds of crime worth ₹35,925.58 crore as of February 28, 2026. It highlights the Central Government’s integrated infrastructure, including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), designed to enhance inter-agency cooperation and financial fraud mitigation. Key recent developments include the issuance of a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on January 2, 2026, to provide a uniform, victim-centric framework for handling cybercrime complaints.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Enforcement and Financial Investigations**
* **Case Statistics:** As of February 28, 2026, the ED has investigated approximately 257 cybercrime cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
* **Proceeds of Crime:** Investigations have identified "Proceeds of Crime" (PoC) valued at ₹35,925.58 crore; however, state-wise data for these proceeds is not maintained.
* **Information Sharing:** The ED utilizes nodal officers and Section 66(2) of the PMLA to share information with other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
**Institutional Framework and Reporting**
* **Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C):** Established by the Ministry of Home Affairs to handle all cybercrime types in a comprehensive manner.
* **National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP):** A centralized platform for the public to report cybercrimes, with a specific focus on crimes against women and children.
* **Financial Fraud Management:** The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) has saved over ₹8,690 crore across 24.65 lakh complaints as of January 31, 2026.
* **Emergency Assistance:** A toll-free helpline number ‘1930’ is operational for immediate assistance in lodging online complaints.
**Technological Tools and Monitoring**
* **Suspect Registry:** Launched in September 2024, this registry has received 23.05 lakh suspect identifiers and identified 27.37 lakh "Layer 1" mule accounts, resulting in ₹9,518.91 crore in declined transactions.
* **Samanvaya Platform:** Acts as a data repository and MIS for cybercrime analytics, mapping criminal locations via the ‘Pratibimb’ module.
* **Operational Success:** These platforms have led to the arrest of over 21,857 individuals and supported 1,49,636 cyber investigation assistance requests.
**Jurisdiction and Governance**
* **State Responsibility:** Under the Constitution, ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects; State/UT LEAs are primarily responsible for investigations, FIRs, and prosecutions.
* **Central Support:** The Central Government provides advisories, financial assistance, and the new SOP (issued January 2, 2026) to ensure a uniform coordination mechanism between state and central stakeholders.
**Impact Analysis**
**Directorate of Enforcement (ED)**
**Impact**
The ED is tasked with identifying and recovering massive financial proceeds linked to cybercrime networks under PMLA.
**Action Required**
Continue utilizing digital portals like SAHYOG, Samanvaya, and ICJS to coordinate with State Police and share information on contraventions.
**State and Union Territory Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)**
**Impact**
They remain the primary entities responsible for the detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes and the conversion of portal complaints into FIRs.
**Action Required**
Implement the new uniform SOP issued on January 2, 2026, and utilize I4C resources like 'Pratibimb' and the Suspect Registry for inter-state coordination.
**Financial Institutions (Banks, Payment Aggregators, and Intermediaries)**
**Impact**
These entities are integral to the Suspect Registry and the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) for stopping the siphoning of funds.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with I4C to share suspect identifier data and take immediate action to decline fraudulent transactions.
**General Public**
**Impact**
Citizens have access to dedicated reporting channels and a victim-centric framework for financial recovery.
**Action Required**
Report incidents immediately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the '1930' helpline to prevent the loss of siphoned funds.
Key Entities Referenced
Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA): The primary legislative framework under which the Directorate of Enforcement investigates cybercrime-related money laundering and identifies proceeds of crime.
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): A central coordination hub under the Ministry of Home Affairs established to deal with all types of cybercrimes in a comprehensive manner.
Directorate of Enforcement (ED): The specialized investigative agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and investigating money laundering networks linked to cybercrime proceeds.
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP): A centralized digital platform that enables the public to report all types of cybercrimes, facilitating the conversion of complaints into FIRs by State/UT police.
Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS): A specialized system under I4C for the immediate reporting of financial frauds to prevent the siphoning of funds by fraudsters.
Ministry of Home Affairs
CYBERCRIME PROCEEDS LINKED TO MONEY
LAUNDERING NETWORKS
Posted On: 24 MAR 2026 4:20PM by PIB Delhi
As per Directorate of Enforcement (ED), till 28.02.2026, the Directorate has taken up around 257 cases
related to cybercrime for investigation under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
(PMLA), resulting in identification of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) worth 35,925.58 crore rupees. The data
regarding scale of cybercrime proceeds, State-wise is not maintained by ED.
There is an established mechanism for sharing/ dissemination of information between the Directorate of
Enforcement and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) through respective Nodal Officers. Under this
mechanism, ED and LEAs share information including matters related to cybercrime. In addition, the
Directorate shares information with other agencies under section 66(2) of PMLA, whenever, a
contravention pertaining to the relevant agency is noticed during investigation under PMLA.
ED is also using SAHYOG, Samanvaya and Cyber Police Portal maintained by Indian Cyber Crime
Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Further, the Directorate also use
the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) portal accessing the FIRs registered by various State
Police related to Cybercrimes.
‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The
States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation, complaint reporting,
recovery actions,victim support systems, prosecution of crimes including cyber fraudthrough their Law
Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs
through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEAs.
To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber crimes including detection and recovery of funds
siphoned through digital and online fraud networksin a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the
Central Government has taken steps which, inter-alia, include the following:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C)as an
attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive
manner.
The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (NCRP) (https://cybercrime.gov.in)has been launched, as a
part of the I4C, to enable public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes, with special
focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Cyber crime incidents reported on National Cyber
Crime Reporting Portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action i.e. filing of chargesheets, arrest
and resolution of complaints, thereon are handled by the State/UT Law Enforcement Agencies concerned
as per the provisions of the law.
The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’ (CFCFRMS), under I4C, has
been launched in year 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by
the fraudsters. As per CFCFRMS operated by I4C, till 31.01.2026, financial amount of more than Rs.8,690 Crore has been saved in more than 24.65 lakh complaints. A toll-free Helpline number ‘1930’ has
been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
A State of the Art, Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) has been established at I4C where
representatives of major banks, Financial Intermediaries, Payment Aggregators, Telecom Service
Providers, IT Intermediaries and representatives of States/UTs Law Enforcement Agency are working
together for immediate action and seamless cooperation to tackle cybercrime.
A Suspect Registry of identifiers of cyber criminals has been launched by I4C on 10.09.2024 in
collaboration with Banks/Financial Institutions. Till 31.01.2026, more than 23.05 lakh suspect identifier
data received from Banks and 27.37 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts have been shared with the participating
entities of Suspect Registry and declined transactions worth Rs. 9518.91 crores.
Samanvaya Platform has been made operational to serve as an Management Information System (MIS)
platform, data repository and a coordination platform for LEAs for cybercrime data sharing and analytics.
It provides analytics based interstate linkages of crimes and criminals, involved in cybercrime complaints
in various States/UTs. The module ‘Pratibimb’ maps locations of criminals and crime infrastructure on a
map to give visibility to jurisdictional officers. The module also facilitates seeking and receiving of
techno-legal assistance by Law Enforcement Agencies from I4C and other SMEs. It has lead to arrest of
more than 21,857 accused and more than 1,49,636 Cyber Investigation assistance request.
A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been issued by the Central Government on 2nd
January 2026. It provides a uniform, victim-centric framework for handling complaints through the
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and
Management System (CFCFRMS). The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for NCRP-CFCFRMS
outlines a dedicated Coordination Mechanism to enhance collaboration, particularly with States and Union
Territories, whose police agencies are integral stakeholders in the system.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a
written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
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RK/RR/PR/PS/AG
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