E-nuggets scheme: ED freezes bitcoins worth ₹22.82 crore
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen 150.22 bitcoins.
PremiumThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen 150.22 bitcoins equivalent to ₹22.82 crore under PMLA, 2002, following a search operation on Binance Crypto Exchange leading. The search was conducted in respect to a probe relating to the mobile gaming application, namely E-nuggets, ANI reported.
“Binance has provided high-quality assistance to the ED. We have been working with ED on the case for weeks now to identify and freeze assets of the malicious actors behind the E-nuggets scheme," said a Binance representative. "
“Our assistance has greatly helped the investigation and the ED has been very positive about our cooperation in this matter so far," the rep added.
An FIR was registered in February 2021 by the Kolkata Police against one Aamir Khan and others based on the allegation made by Federal Bank authorities. Based on that, the ED opened a money laundering probe into the company. The agency reported in September that it had frozen bitcoins worth ₹12.83 crore in an investigation against Khan and others related to the mobile gaming application, E-nuggets.
Khan released the mobile gaming app E-Nuggets with the intention of defrauding users, the ED noted. Following the public money collection, the said App abruptly stopped allowing withdrawals under various pretexts. After that, all data - including profile data - was deleted from the aforementioned App servers, the central probe agency said in September.
At that time, the ED discovered that the accused was using cryptocurrency exchanges to send a portion of the money obtained illegally through the gaming app to foreign countries. It was found that a dummy account with the name Sima Naskar had been opened at the cryptocurrency exchange WazirX and used to buy cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
Aamir Khan's residence was previously searched, and during that search, a sum totaling ₹17.32 crore was discovered and seized.
(This story is developing)
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