Crackdown on Betting Racket: ED Raids in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab as part of an investigation into a betting racket. Raids revealed Rs 31 lakh in cash, incriminating documents, and various digital devices. Assets worth Rs 8 crore were frozen under the PMLA, all linked to a large-scale cricket betting operation by Piyush Chopra.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into money laundering, executing searches across Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The raids, carried out on Thursday, targeted five locations in Indore, Ujjain, and Ludhiana. The operation yielded Rs 31 lakh in cash, along with incriminating documents and digital devices.

The enforcement agency revealed that assets amounting to Rs 8 crore, including bank deposits, mutual funds, and fixed deposits, have been frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This move follows an FIR filed by Ujjain Police, tracing the racket to a man named Piyush Chopra.

According to the ED, Chopra orchestrated a wide-reaching cricket betting operation using falsified documents to secure SIM cards. The plot, reportedly involving hawala transactions, tracked bets and winnings through specialized software. Associates Abhay Chopra and Sanjay Agrawal were also alleged accomplices in this online gambling venture.

(With inputs from agencies.)