India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) says it has frozen 44.5 more bitcoins as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into mobile gaming app E-nuggets. The authority has already frozen nearly 86 bitcoins on the crypto exchange Binance related to the same investigation.
India’s ED freezes more Bitcoin in E-nuggets case
Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India notified Thursday that it has frozen 44.5 bitcoins under the country’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED is the government of India’s law enforcement and economic intelligence agency.
The official ED Twitter account tweeted:
The ED has raided two premises in Kolkata and seized cash of Rs 1.65 Cr, frozen 44.5 bitcoin (equivalent to Rs 7.12 Cr) and other infringing documents under PMLA, in connection with an ongoing investigation regarding the mobile gaming app. , namely E-nuggets.
The authority explained: “Aamir Khan, s/o Nesar Ahmed Khan launched a mobile gaming application, E-Nuggets, which was designed to cheat the public … It was revealed that several accounts (more than 300) were used to launder money.”
Before Thursday’s announcement, the ED has already frozen cryptocurrencies related to its investigation into E-nuggets several times.
On September 28, ED said it has frozen 77.62710139 bitcoins on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. The authority then froze more BTC. In its announcement on September 30, ED said a total of “85.91870554 bitcoins equivalent to USD 1674255.7 (equivalent to approximately Rs. 13.56 per market exchange rate) found in balance on the Binance exchange were frozen.” ED has too frozen WRX (utility token of Indian crypto exchange Wazirx) and stablecoin tether (USDT) equivalent to 47.64 lakhs in Wazirx accounts in connection with the E-nuggets case.
The ED said on Thursday:
During investigations conducted so far under PMLA, a total amount of Rs 51.16 crore has been seized/frozen in this case.
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