NEW DELHI: A Maldivian delegation headed by its home minister Sheikh Imran Abdulla was hosted by the enforcement directorate at its headquarters on Friday. The visitors were given an extensive presentation on the working of the agency and about the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) infrastructure.According to sources, ED will assist Maldives in setting up a probe agency like itself and guide the island nation on raising a PMLA infrastructure. Maldivian home minister, after a meeting with Amit Shah , spent half a day at the ED office meeting its officials and understanding the functioning of the agency. The meeting started with the ED hosting a lunch for the dignitaries.Abdulla is on a four-day visit to India where he met the home minister and other senior official of the ministry to strengthen ties between the two countries. Security and law enforcement were the major issues the two sides have discussed.Situated close to Lakshadweep islands, Maldives is strategically important for India. There have been reports of many Maldivian nationals joining ISIS fighters in Syria and also Al Qaida splinter groups. There have also been reports of some of India’s economic offenders seeking refuge in the island nation for which the two countries have closely been cooperating.India has one of the most robust anti-money laundering architecture in the world where the enforcement directorate plays an important role. Between 2005 and 2018, the ED has registered over 2,000 cases under the stringent PMLA and attached properties worth over Rs 30,000 crore. It has arrested at least 200 persons under the PMLA and filed as many as 500 chargesheets.The ED has also attached assets worth several hundred crore in foreign countries and has been engaged with foreign authorities on extradition of many of its economic offenders, including former Kingfisher chairman Vijay Mallya, former IPL chairman Lalit Modi , diamond merchant Nirav Modi, all having taken refuge in UK.India has also been closely following up extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik who fled the country in 2016 and is presently in Malaysia. Naik is wanted in terror related cases.