The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested four executives of Chinese smartphone-maker Vivo, including one Chinese national, a report by the news agency Reuters said, citing sources privy to the matter. 

These arrests come at a time when rising tensions are being witnessed between Beijing and New Delhi over issues ranging from border disputes to India’s increasing scrutiny of Chinese businesses and investment. 

Vivo and the country’s ED did not immediately respond to requests for comment made by email and telephone. 

The executives were arrested in relation to an ongoing 2022 case where the ED had raided the company’s offices and accused it of money laundering, first of the sources said. 

The company has repeatedly denied the allegations. It has previously said that it had cooperated with authorities to provide them with all required information and was “committed to be fully compliant with laws”. 

The first source said Vivo executives were summoned to the ED’s Delhi office for questioning and then arrested.  

In 2022, the ED had blocked 119 bank accounts linked to Vivo’s India business, but a court had later revoked the move. 

Police have formally accused Vivo Mobile and fellow Chinese smartphone-maker Xiaomi Corp of helping transfer funds illegally to a news portal under investigation on charges of spreading Chinese propaganda, documents showed on October 6.