ED Seizes Rs 90 Crore from Crypto Wallets
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 90 crore from cryptocurrency wallets of major exchanges like Binance, ZebPay, and WazirX. This action is part of a money laundering investigation linked to the online gaming app 'E-Nugget'.
E-Nugget, disguised as a gaming platform, lured users with promises of high returns on investments. However, the app's true nature was exposed when investors were left stranded after making investments. An FIR was registered at Kolkata's Park Street Police Station, leading to the ED's investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In 2022, the ED uncovered the app's illegal activities and discovered that some of the illicit gains were invested in digital assets. The agency identified around 2,500 dummy bank accounts used in the scam. Based on information gathered from Binance and other exchanges, the ED froze nearly Rs 90 crore in 70 accounts linked to the scam.
Two individuals, Aamir Khan and Romen Agarwal, were arrested, and a charge sheet was filed. The ED has seized, attached, or frozen a total of Rs 163 crore worth of assets in this case, including cash, cryptocurrencies, bank account balances, and offices.