[6] With economic liberalization in the 1990s, FERA 1973 was repealed and replaced by the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), which came into effect on 1 June 2000.

More recently, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) was passed, and the ED was entrusted with its enforcement from 21 April 2018.

The Director is responsible for overseeing the agency's operations and reports to the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

These regional offices oversee the operations of zonal offices located in various cities across India, including Pune, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Panaji, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, and Srinagar.

[15] In several landmark rulings, the Supreme Court of India has clarified the extent of the ED's powers, particularly concerning arrests and custody of accused individuals.

The Enforcement Directorate has reported a high conviction rate in money laundering cases, but this figure is based on a small number of completed trials.

In July 2023, data shared by the union government in Parliament revealed that only 31 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had completed trial in the previous nine years.

Critics argue that the agency has been selectively targeting opposition leaders, conducting raids, and making arrests, especially during election periods.

[34] The allegations of misuse have been further fueled by incidents such as the one in August 2023, when Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) warned opposition members during a parliamentary debate, saying, "keep quiet, or ED may arrive at your home.