Kolkata, 9 Aug (H.S.) – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized ₹14.29 crore from 80 bank accounts allegedly linked to illegal online betting operations. These accounts were in the names of individuals who were not directly involved in betting but had allowed criminals to use their accounts. Such accounts are called “mule bank accounts” — meaning the account is legally registered in an ordinary person’s name, but is actually used by criminals to move illicit money and evade detection.
According to officials, proceeds from illegal betting were first deposited into these mule accounts, and then routed through multiple “shell companies.” A shell company is a business entity that exists only on paper, with no real commercial activity, and is often used to disguise money trails and make illicit funds appear legitimate.
The case stems from an FIR filed by the Siliguri Police Commissionerate in North Bengal under the West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act, 1957.
The ED stated that the betting apps were being run like organised corporate operations. Suspect individuals were given panels or franchises on a rental basis to operate betting in different areas. The network included customer acquisition groups, call centres, accounting teams, and payout teams to settle winnings. Operations were conducted secretly via WhatsApp groups and Telegram channels.
Investigations also revealed that payments for purchasing betting panels were made in cryptocurrency, specifically USDT (Tether). Cryptocurrency is a form of digital money that exists only online, operates without the control of any government, and allows person-to-person transactions that are difficult to trace — a feature exploited by criminals to hide money movements.
Earlier, on June 3, the ED conducted search operations across West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam, seizing a large number of documents and digital devices. During those searches, three individuals — Vishal Bhardwaj alias Badal Bhardwaj, Sonu Kumar Thakur, and Abhishek Bansal — were arrested and are currently in judicial custody.
The agency had previously frozen 1,130 bank accounts holding around ₹10.20 crore. So far, prosecution complaints have been filed against 10 accused, and a special court has issued a pre-cognizance order in the case. The investigation is ongoing.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
