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Crime

ED unearths ₹4,000 crore gaming scam after searches at 25 locations across India; seizes incriminating documents

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The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted search and seizure operations countrywide at 25 locations for forex violations by online gaming apps and websites. The Directorate is probing illegal remittance of Rs 4000 crore sent in the guise of payments for the import of goods and services by foreign registered online gaming companies and websites operating in India.

Searches were conducted on premises linked to several hawala operators, including that of Ashish Kakkar, Neeraj Bedi, Arjun Ashwinbhai Adhikari, Abhijeet Khot and the persons/entities associated with them.

Searches have led to seizure of incriminating documents

Searches have resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents and electronic evidence and the disclosure of interesting modus adopted by them to evade investigative agencies.

The operations were conducted in Delhi (11), Gujarat (7), Maharashtra (4), Madhya Pradesh (2) and Andhra Pradesh (1) on outlets of online gaming companies registered in small island countries such as Curacao, Malta and Cyprus. “However, all of them are linked to Indian bank accounts opened in the name of proxy persons who have no links with online gaming activity,” the probe agency said.

ED also seized electronic devices establishing foreign outward remittances of thousands of crores collected from public through gaming websites using accounts of dummy firms opened in the name of proxy persons.

Probe identified 55 bank accs being used for layering, remitting income

The probe identified 55 bank accounts of firms being used for layering and remitting income generated from online gaming in the guise of remittances against import of goods and services.

ED officials claimed that the amount collected from the public through gaming websites was routed through multiple bank accounts and finally remitted out of India by declaring the purpose of remittances against the import of services and goods. “Remittances out of the income from racing, riding, etc. or any other hobby are not allowed under the provisions of FEMA, 1999,” said an ED official.

Company heads open accounts in name of their employees and sending remittances

According to the ED, hundreds of companies have been opened by key persons in the name of their employees for layering and sending remittances to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore in the guise of payments for the import of goods and services.

Several PAN and Aadhaar cards used for creating such firms and mobiles used for operating bank accounts were also seized.

The probe found key persons were using international virtual mobile numbers for instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc. and using pseudo-names such as Pablo, John, Watson, etc. for masking their actual identity.

To escape probe agencies, culprits use remote access apps

“To escape from investigating agencies, they are using remote-based servers and laptops which are being used through remote access apps such Any desk, Team Viewer,” explained a probe official adding that seizures made include incriminating documents and electronic devices establishing foreign outward remittances of thousands of crores. These were collected from public through gaming websites using accounts of dummy firms opened in the name of proxy persons who are not linked with the gaming activities; Rs. 19.55 lakh in cash, US$2695 and 55 bank accounts have been frozen.

Crime

NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Delhi days before re-exam

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New Delhi, June 17: Days before lakhs of students are set to appear for the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21, a NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide in Delhi.

The deceased, identified as Renu, lived with her family in the Palam area of South-West Delhi. According to reports, she had appeared for the NEET examination on May 3 and had reportedly been suffering from depression after the examination was cancelled.

Police said that on June 13, Renu’s father had gone to his in-laws’ residence following the death of his father-in-law. Renu was alone at home when the incident occurred. She allegedly died by hanging herself on the evening of June 13.

A suicide note recovered from the spot revealed her emotional distress. In the note, she apologised to her parents and wrote that she had been unable to fulfil their aspirations. The family is originally from Rajasthan.

The incident comes amid growing concern over the mental well-being of students preparing for highly competitive examinations, particularly after the controversy surrounding the NEET examination and allegations of paper leaks.

Earlier this week, a 22-year-old NEET aspirant died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. The student, identified as Umesh Mali, was preparing for his third attempt at the NEET examination, which is scheduled to be held on June 21.

This was the second case of a NEET aspirant dying by suicide in Sikar, highlighting the mounting pressure faced by students preparing for competitive entrance examinations.

According to police, Umesh was a native of Nawalgarh in Jhunjhunu district. His father works as a tile contractor in Mumbai. Umesh had been residing in a flat in the Udyog Nagar police station area of Sikar along with his mother, elder sister, and younger brother while preparing for the examination.

In another similar incident reported on Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly ended her life after reportedly struggling to clear the NEET examination. She left behind a note addressed to her parents that read, “Mummy-Papa, I love you.”

According to investigators, preliminary findings suggest that she had been preparing for the NEET examination for a long time and aspired to pursue a career in medicine.

Meanwhile, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh on Tuesday assured aspirants that the re-examination would be conducted in a secure and error-free manner, while cautioning students and parents against social media rackets claiming to sell “leaked papers” for hefty sums.

In a video message, Singh said there was “no leaked paper for the re-exam” and warned candidates against falling prey to fraudsters operating through Telegram channels.

He said the temporary suspension of the Telegram application till June 22 was aimed at curbing fake news and misleading claims relating to the examination.

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Crime

CISF foils smuggling bid at IGI Airport; seizes 1.21 kg gold, unaccounted cash

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New Delhi, June 17: The CISF personnel at Terminal-1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday intercepted a passenger bound for Kolkata after noticing suspicious behaviour during security screening. A detailed frisking led to the recovery of 1.210 kg of gold concealed in the passenger’s clothing, along with Rs 1,97,200 in unaccounted cash. Upon questioning, the passenger failed to produce any valid documents or provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the recovered items.

During the proceedings, the passenger allegedly attempted to influence the on-duty CISF personnel to avoid legal action. However, the CISF staff displayed exemplary integrity by rejecting the offer and promptly reporting the matter to senior authorities.

The passenger, along with the seized gold and cash, was subsequently handed over to the Income Tax Department for further investigation and legal action.

The successful interception highlights the vigilance, professionalism, and unwavering integrity of CISF personnel in safeguarding the nation’s civil aviation sector and reinforces their commitment to the motto of ensuring “Safe Airports, Secure Nation”.

Earlier on June 4, the CISF personnel intercepted a foreign national at the Mumbai airport and recovered illicit foreign currency worth Rs 1.39 crore, being carried by him in his luggage.

The foreign national was subsequently taken into custody and handed over to the Customs officials at the airport for further interrogation and action.

According to CISF officials, the said passenger was travelling from Mumbai to Addis Ababa with the unaccounted cash.

The foreign national, while checking in for the scheduled flight, came under the scanner of vigilant officials after the latter observed some suspicious objects in his baggage during screening at the X-BIS system. The X-ray image of his belongings created some suspicion, prompting the CISF officials to carry out a detailed examination of his hand luggage.

It was during baggage screening that the CISF personnel stumbled upon a suspicious bag, belonging to a traveller of foreign origin, and then dug deeper into the scanned image. An uncleared foreign currency amounting to USD 145,000 (approx Rs 1.39 crore) was found in his bag and subsequently seized by the authorities.

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Crime

Accused in Rs 2 crore Pune embezzlement case arrested in Nashik

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Nashik (Maharashtra), June 16: An absconding accused in a Rs 2 crore embezzlement case registered in Pune was arrested in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Tuesday, police said.

According to a complaint filed by Kiran Dadasaheb Shinde, 38, with Pune police, the responsibility for flat sales and related activities across four buildings (A, B, C, and D) of the ‘Ganga Fernhill’ project had been entrusted to Senior Sales Manager Simon Ronnie Peter, 42, but he allegedly, instead of depositing the proceeds from flat sales into the company’s account, transferred the funds to a fraudulent private bank account belonging to his associate, B. Chandrashekhar, thereby embezzling approximately Rs 2 crore collected from 32 customers.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Pune’s Kalepadal Police Station on June 9 (Crime No. 257/2026), under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

However, following the registration of the case, Peter went absconding and even switched off his mobile phone to evade arrest.

During the course of the investigation, Pune police received information that the accused was hiding in Nashik city and officials from Kalepadal Police Station contacted Senior Police Inspector Ashok Sharmale of the Gangapur Police Station and sought assistance in tracing and apprehending Peter.

Acting on credible intelligence, Sharmale learned that the accused Peter had arrived in Nashik in a car and was staying in Room No. 301 of Hotel Treebo Sapphire in Kalenagar on Gangapur Road.

Upon receiving the information, Crime Investigation Team officer Ghanshyam Bhoye and his team were immediately dispatched to the location. Acting swiftly, the police team detained the accused and subsequently handed him over to the Pune police for further legal proceedings.

The operation was successfully carried out under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Sharmale of the Gangapur Police Station, and his team, including Assistant Sub-Inspector Tushar Deore and Police Head Constables Ravindra Mohite, Girish Mahale, Bhagwat Thavil, Ghanshyam Bhoye, Pravin Kedare, Gorakh Salunke, Sujit Jadhav, and Tulshidas Chaudhary.

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