The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a big step forward in its investigation into the illegal overseas betting site 1xBet by temporarily seizing assets worth about ₹7.93 crore that are linked to a number of famous Indian people. The action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002 to crack down on what are thought to be illegal forms of online gaming, money laundering, and other related financial crimes.
The move shows that Indian police are paying more attention to star support linked to illegal betting sites. The ED’s most recent order is mostly about assets that agents think are tied to the 1xBet network and the money that was made from crimes.
List of Names and Assets
Former Indian players Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa have had their assets frozen. So have the assets of stars like Urvashi Rautela, Sonu Sood, Neha Sharma, Mimi Chakraborty, and Ankush Hazra. Officials said that the connected assets include both mobile and immovable property, and that each person’s belongings have different prices.
The law enforcement body said that the assets connected to these celebs were found to be connected to the betting platform’s money flows. Some examples are a large part that is related to a business connected to Yuvraj Singh and land that is registered in the name of Urvashi Rautela’s family. There is also value given to things that are connected to other celebs.
As part of the probe, the ED has already questioned many of these people for several hours. During the investigation, their comments have been recorded so that officials can track down financial transactions and see if they were involved in activities that promoted the betting platform.
The 1xBet Case and Investigative Findings
The 1xBet betting platform was founded outside of India, but it was said to have worked in India without the right permissions and advertised its services using fake names. The government says this included strong marketing efforts on social media, internet films, and paper ads.
Investigators say that famous people signed advertising deals with companies connected to the betting apps and took funds that went through foreign middlemen. It is said that this way of setting up money hides the fact that the money came from illegal bets, which means that the payments are considered profits of crime under the PMLA.
This is part of a larger crackdown by the ED that has already seen funds connected to former cricket players with the same illegal betting network seized.
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Enforcement and Public Warning
The Enforcement Directorate warned that supporting or encouraging illegal betting sites can get you in trouble with the law when they issued the attachment order. The agency stressed that illegal betting businesses hurt the economy and asked people to be careful around unregistered gaming businesses.
The ED has hinted that more steps may be taken as it tracks down funds and looks into other parts of how the betting site works as its investigation into the 1xBet network continues.
