Accused of illegal gaming activities and misappropriation of large sums of money through secret networks
Accused of illegal gaming activities and misappropriation of large sums of money through secret networks
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested two residents of Kolkata for allegedly operating several groups on an online gaming app, including several clubs that facilitate illegal bets.
The accused have been identified as Hardeep Singh and Ankur alias Rahul Khanna. He allegedly operated groups on “PP Poker Online Gaming App”. The agency has got his custody for eight days of interrogation.
The arrests have been made in a money laundering investigation initiated on the basis of a case registered by the Goa Police under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act and Information Technology Act. It alleged illegal gaming activities and laundering of large sums of money through secret networks, causing loss to the exchequer.
The ED found that both the accused were running groups named “CheckRays”, “Mini-India” and “Russian Poker” on the app. Within each group there were about 25 to 30 clubs being run by different individuals. Through these clubs, individual players will be invited through WhatsApp chat to place illegal bets.
Commissions ranging from 5 to 10% were generated by these clubs on each table running in groups. The settlement of commissions and betting amounts by players and group heads along with their respective club managers was mainly done through ‘hawala’ operators in cash or cryptocurrency.
Earlier on April 6, the ED had raided the residential premises of the two main accused and other club managers/agents in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Goa.