Overview

• Interpol issued the Purple Notice at India’s request to disseminate intelligence on concealment methods and criminal techniques, one of eight notice types used for global information sharing.
• The ED probe found a network of domestic and overseas shell entities laundering funds by under-invoicing imports, claiming sham duty-free entries such as semiconductors, forging compliance documents, and routing circular re-exports via third countries.
• Investigators described the operation as hawala-like in effect but executed through formal banking channels, shell firms, and falsified trade documentation to evade regulatory detection.
• Linked domestic action included the provisional attachment of properties worth Rs 2.86 crore in Goa in the Canara Bank fraud case involving Crown Minerals Trading Corporation, with assets tied to partners Riyaz Shaikh and Aditya Angle.
• ED officials say the notice is intended to help counterparts spot similar TBML patterns, with cooperation channeled through platforms such as the Globe Network and ARIN-AP to support asset tracing and cross-border inquiries.