New Delhi, Feb. 23 -- Enforcement Directorate (ED) director Rahul Navin has asked all units of the agency to exercise "caution, fairness and accountability" while conducting money laundering investigations. The ED chief asked his men to ensure that summons and other statutory notices are issued "judiciously", based on "clear necessity and proper application of mind". The directions were issued at the three-day 34th quarterly conference of zonal officers of ED, held from February 19 to 21, in Guwahati, which was chaired by Navin and attended by all senior officers, including special directors, joint directors, additional and deputy directors of the agency. "Discussions stressed that the focus must be on meaningful achievement of targets, logical conclusion of investigations, timely filing of prosecution complaints, and ensuring that attachments and penalties are legally sustainable and effectively realised," ED said in a statement. "The conference emphasised that with significant statutory powers available under PMLA (prevention of money laundering act) comes a corresponding responsibility to exercise them with caution, fairness and accountability. It was advised that officers must remain mindful of the impact of enforcement actions and ensure that summons and other statutory notices are issued judiciously, based on clear necessity and proper application of mind," it added. Underlining that it has set a target of filing 500 prosecution complaints in the current financial year, ED said, "All field formations were urged to make concerted efforts to achieve the same, while also preparing for an enhanced target in the next financial year." "The need for this enhanced target is to proactively conclude long-pending investigations and to systematically reduce the lifecycle of new investigations to a reasonable timeframe of one to two years, except in exceptionally complex cases," the statement added. Navin outlined the priority areas that require focused and coordinated approach in all zones. For instance, according to the ED statement, "all zonal heads were directed to intensify efforts in tracing and securing proceeds of crime parked abroad, particularly in jurisdictions such as Dubai and Singapore." Officials have been asked to use international cooperation channels, financial intelligence inputs, and analysis of cross-border fund flows to identify layering structures and beneficial ownership behind offshore assets....