New Delhi, Dec 19 In fresh trouble for cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actor Sonu Sood and others, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached their movable and immovable assets valued at Rs 7.93 crore as part of action against illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet, an official said on Friday.
Earlier on October 6, the ED had attached assets amounting to Rs 11.14 crore of cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina.
Others against whom the latest action in the case has been taken by the ED Headquarters Office, include actresses Urvashi Rautela, Mimi Chakraborty, actor Ankush Hazra and actress Neha Sharma, an ED statement said.
The attachment was done under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, an official statement said.
The ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by various state police agencies against the operators of the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet.
The investigation has revealed that 1xBet and its surrogate brand 1xBat, 1xbat Sporting lines were engaged in promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling operations across India.
The ED investigation revealed that the celebrities knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities for the promotion of 1xBet through its surrogates, the statement said.
These endorsements were made in return for payments routed through foreign entities to conceal the illicit origin of the funds, which are linked to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting activities, it added.
The ED investigation revealed that 1xBet operated in India without authorisation and used surrogate branding and advertisements to target Indian users through social media, online videos, and print media.
Payments for endorsements were structured through layered transactions using foreign intermediaries to disguise the illegal source of funds, the ED said.
The ED cautioned that illegal betting and gambling platforms cause serious economic harm and are widely used for money laundering and other unlawful activities.
It advised the public to avoid such platforms and report any suspicious transactions or advertisements to law enforcement agencies or the ED.
The ED also warned celebrities and social media influencers that endorsing or promoting illegal betting or gambling platforms, including through surrogate promotions, was a punishable offence attracting action under applicable laws.
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