$4.4 Trillion Could Buy Everyone A Laptop, Yet Black Money Recovery Remains Dismal

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has warned that money laundering has reached a scale, with an estimated USD 4.4 trillion flowing through the illicit economy in 2025.

Speaking at the 43rd International Symposium on Economic Crime in London, the CJI said the amount could buy a laptop for every person among the world’s eight billion population and still leave money behind.

Dirty Money Outpaces Growth

Laundered money rose from USD 3.1 trillion in 2023 to USD 4.4 trillion in 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 19.2 percent. This was nearly four times the 5 percent growth recorded by the economy.

Illicit flows also increased from 2.9 percent of global GDP in 2023 to 3.8 percent in 2025. However, less than one unit in every hundred of illicit wealth is recovered, highlighting the enormous gap between detection and enforcement.

Organised crime and corruption accounted for USD 2.78 trillion of the illegal economy in 2025. Drug trafficking contributed USD 1.07 trillion, human trafficking USD 530 billion and terrorist financing USD 20 billion.

India’s Recovery And Conviction Gap

India has also recorded a rise in economic crime. Registered economic offences increased from 156,268 in 2018 to 214,379 in 2024.

Frauds reported by banks and financial institutions involved Rs 47,910 crore in FY26, compared with Rs 32,043 crore in FY25 and Rs 11,678 crore in FY24. Despite improved recoveries, only Rs 2,906 crore, or 6.1 percent of the amount involved, was recovered in FY26.

The conviction rate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act remained below 1 percent. The Enforcement Directorate registered 4,622 cases between FY22 and FY26, but convictions were secured in only 43 cases, involving 104 accused.

CJI Kant called for a proactive judicial response while protecting due process. He highlighted digital-arrest scams and urged authorities to consider a distinct offence with penalties matching the harm caused.

He also stressed cross-border cooperation, saying illicit wealth rarely remains where it was stolen and that Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties often recover assets more reliably than extradition.