Vivo’s India Unit: 2 Senior Employees Arrested by ED; Chinese Company to Legally Contest the Action
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested two senior employees working at the Indian unit of Chinese smartphone maker Vivo, which the company vowed to challenge legally.
The arrests come two months after the ED arrested four industry executives, including a Chinese national, who were working at Vivo’s Indian unit in an alleged money laundering case; The company has denied the charges. India has stepped up surveillance of Chinese companies and investments since a deadly border clash in 2020.
“We are deeply concerned about the current actions of the authorities,” said a Vivo spokesperson. “The recent arrests demonstrate ongoing harassment and as such create uncertainty in the wider industry environment. We will resolutely use all legal means to address and challenge these allegations.”
According to a source directly connected to the case, the arrested persons were produced in a Delhi court on Saturday and sent to the custody of the agency. The Vivo employees, whose identities Reuters could not confirm, will next appear in court on Dec. 26, the source said.
An ED spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
