According to the official information, the raids were conducted at half-a-dozen locations of the gaming app named 'E-Nuggets' and its promoter identified as Aamir Khan, the federal agency said in a statement.
"ED has been carrying out search operations under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002 (on 10.09.2022) at 06 premises in Kolkata, in respect to an investigation relating to the Mobile Gaming Application. Huge cash (More than ₹7 Crore) has been found at the premises." the federal agency wrote on Twitter.
The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Kolkata Police filed against the company and its promoters in February 2021.
The agency is investigating if this app and its operators had links with other "Chinese controlled" apps that had been issuing loans at exorbitant rates to gullible persons and in many cases the loan takers ended their lives after they were threatened by these loan operators to pay up.
The instant case was recorded on the basis of FIR bearing No. 30 of 2021 dated 15.02.2021 filed U/s 420, 406, 409, 468, 469, 471, 34 of IPC by Park Street Police Station, Kolkata Police, against Aamir Khan & others, based on a complaint filed by Federal Bank authorities, in the court of Ld. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Calcutta, the ED said.
One person namely Amir Khan, S/o Nesar Ahmed Khanlaunched a mobile gaming application namely E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of defrauding the public.
During the initial period, the users were rewarded with the commission and the balance in the wallet could be withdrawn hassle-free. This provided initial confidence among users, and they started investing bigger amounts for a greater percentage of commission and a greater number of purchase orders.
Further, after collecting a handsome amount from the public, all of a sudden, the withdrawal from the said App, was stopped, at one or the other pretext viz. system upgradation, investigation by LEAs etc. Thereafter, all data including profile information was wiped off from the said App servers and only then the users understood the ploy, the enforcement agency said.
During the search operation, it is noticed that the said entities were using dummy accounts. So far, huge cash (more than ₹7 crore) has been found at the premises, and counting of the amount is still in progress. The search operation is in progress, the Directorate of Enforcement said.
Several visuals emerged of the immense cash ED seized following the raid.
Trunks had been carried into the residence of the businessman Nisar Khan to collect crores in cash that have been recovered during ED's raid ongoing for several hours now.
