India hosts first ARIN-AP meeting, ED welcomes 32 delegations

This press release, issued by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), announces that India is hosting the 11th Annual General Meeting of the Asset Recovery Interagency Network, Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP) in New Delhi from 28 September to 1 October 2026. It matters to citizens as it highlights India’s role in international cooperation to recover proceeds of crime and return assets to victims and the State.

Who it concerns: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) as the host and nodal agency; delegations from 32 member jurisdictions and 10 observer organizations of ARIN-AP; the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (SPO) of Korea (ARIN-AP Secretariat); the Revenue Secretary, Government of India; and various Indian agencies.

What the ED says it did

• India is hosting the 11th AGM of ARIN-AP in New Delhi from 28 September to 1 October 2026 under its 2026 Presidency.
• The meeting follows a Steering Group meeting and includes an inaugural session addressed by the Director, ED, and the Director, SPO Korea.
• ARIN-AP is described as an informal network for recovering proceeds of crime in the Asia-Pacific region, launched in 2013 and modeled on the European CARIN network.
• The Director, ED, stated that the meeting's theme focuses on the later stages of asset recovery (confiscation, management, and return), which are often slower than initial tracing and securing.
• The Director, ED, noted that since April 2024, the Directorate has executed nearly 90% of assistance requests received in full or in part.
• The Director, ED, highlighted that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, enables India to seek restraint and confiscation of assets located abroad.
• Two priorities for the Network under India’s Presidency are identified: speed of response to requests and completion of cases.
• The programme covers revised FATF standards, cross-border tracing, freezing of virtual assets, non-conviction based confiscation, and restitution of assets to victims.
• The Presidency of ARIN-AP is scheduled to transfer from India to Singapore for 2027.

Also in the document

• This is the first time India has hosted the ARIN-AP Annual General Meeting.
• India was inducted into the ARIN-AP Steering Group at the Sydney AGM in 2024.
• The Director, ED, mentioned recent cases involving illegal online betting, cyber-enabled frauds, misuse of payment aggregators, and manipulation of share prices.
• The Revenue Secretary’s message emphasized a whole-of-government approach to asset recovery in India.