Mumbai: City-based agents linked to illegal online gambling under ED's lens
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Some of the people from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Goa who acted as club managers or agents and were allegedly part of operating unions on “PP Poker Online Gaming App” and placing illegal bets and gambling on the same, are under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing a money-laundering probe in connection with the said illegal gambling case.
The ED officials had recently arrested two Kolkata residents under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly operating unions on the “PP Poker Online Gaming App” and placing illegal bets and gambling on the same. The accused were produced before the court in Goa, on April 08 and which remanded them to eight days of ED custody.
The agency had initiated a money-laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Goa Police for illegal gaming activities and siphoning huge money through secret networks and thus causing loss to the Government exchequer.
"Investigation by ED revealed that the duo was operating unions such as Checkraise, Mini-India, Russian Poker etc on PP Poker Online Gaming App. Under each union, it is seen that around 25 to 30 clubs are being operated by different individuals. Through these clubs, individual players are invited via WhatsApp chats for placing illegal bets through various poker gaming apps like PP Poker. Commissions to the tune of @ 5% to 10 % were generated by the said clubs on each table running in the said Clubs or Unions," said an ED official.
"The settlement of the commission and the betting amount is done mainly through hawala operators in cash or through cryptocurrency with each individual player and union head by their respective club managers. Some of the persons who had acted as club managers or agents are under investigation. Last week we had conducted searches at the premises of suspected club managers or agents situated in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Goa in connection with the case," the official said.
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