ED raids six places in Kolkata, seizes around Rs 7 crore cash in mobile app fraud case
The ED has claimed that Aamir Khan launched a mobile gaming application namely E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of defrauding the public. It carried out search operations under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 10 in connection with an ongoing probe related to the mobile gaming application.
FollowThe Enforcement Directorate on Saturday raided six places in Kolkata and recovered around Rs 7 crore in cash. Under the guidelines of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the ED has started conducting search operations. The searches were conducted as part of an investigation into a mobile gaming application.
The case was registered and an FIR submitted by Park Street Police Station on February 15, 2021, in accordance with sections 420, 406, 409, 468, 469, 471, and 34 of the IPC. The complaint was filed by Kolkata Police against the app developer Aamir Khan and a few others based on a complaint filed by Federal Bank authorities in the court of Ld. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Calcutta.
The Enforcement Directorate stated, "So far, large cash totaling more than Rs 7 crore has been recovered at the premises and counting of the amount is still under way."
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The agency is investigating if this app and its operators had links with other "Chinese controlled" apps that had been issuing loans at exorbitant rates to gullible persons and in many cases, the loan takers ended their lives after they were threatened by these loan operators to pay up.
The accused, Aamir Khan, is a transport businessman and the son of Nesar Ahmed Khan. According to the ED, Aamir introduced the smartphone game E-Nuggets, which was created with the intention of scamming users. The wallet balance could be easily withdrawn during the initial time, and users received commission rewards. As a result, consumers started investing larger sums for higher commission percentages and a higher volume of purchase orders, according to the ED.
Additionally, after receiving a sizable amount from the general public, the withdrawal from the aforementioned App abruptly came to an end on several pretexts, including System improvements, LEA investigations, etc. The users only realised the ruse when all data, including personal information, was deleted from the servers hosting the aforementioned apps, the agency claimed.
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During the search operation, the ED noticed that the said entities were using dummy accounts. Though no political connection has emerged so far, the slugfest already began between Bengal’s ruling party TMC and its opposition BJP.
