The ED Freezes USD 1.5 Million More Bitcoin in the E-Nuggets Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India has claimed that it has frozen 44.5 more bitcoins as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into the mobile gaming app E-nuggets case. The authorities have already frozen nearly 86 bitcoins at the crypto exchange Binance relating to the investigation.
ED Freezes 44.5 Bitcoins Under PMLA
The
Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India announced on Thursday that it has frozen 44.5
bitcoins under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is the law
enforcement and economic intelligence agency of the government of India.
The
official Twitter account for the ED tweeted:
"ED
has carried out a search operation at 2 premises in Kolkata and seized cash of
INR 1.65 Cr, frozen 44.5 bitcoins (equivalent to INR 7.12 Cr) and other
incriminating documents under PMLA, relating to an investigation being
conducted in the mobile gaming app E-nuggets."
The
authorities explained, "Aamir Khan, s/o Nesar Ahmed Khan, launched a
mobile gaming application, namely E-Nuggets, which was designed to defraud the
public." It was revealed that more than 300 accounts were used to launder
the money.
The
ED had already frozen cryptocurrencies earlier on two occasions during the
investigation of the E-nuggets case, before the Thursday freeze.
Earlier on Sept. 28, the ED said it had frozen 77.62710139 bitcoins at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The ED has also frozen WRX (the utility token of Indian crypto exchange Wazirx) and stablecoin tether (USDT) equivalent to Rs 47.64 lakhs in Wazirx relating to the E-nuggets case. It subsequently froze more BTC on September 30. The ED said a total of "85.91870554 bitcoins equivalent to USD 1674255.7 (equivalent to INR 13.56 Cr) found in balance on the Binance exchange was frozen."
The
ED stated on Thursday:
"During
investigations conducted under the PMLA, an amount of Rs 51.16 Cr has been
seized in this case."
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