PANAJI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Panaji Zonal Office has unearthed alleged cross-border hawala and cryptocurrency transactions linked to firms operating businesses pan-India including offshore casino operations in Goa.
Spanning two days on Sunday-Monday, the ED's search operations were carried out at 15 locations across Goa, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Rajkot under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. The searches were at M/s Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd, M/s Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment Pvt Ltd and Big Daddy Casino in Goa.
During the raids, officials recovered cash amounting to around Rs 2.25 crore in Indian currency, US $14,000, and foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 8.50 lakh. The ED also froze cryptocurrencies, including USDT, valued at over Rs 90 lakh. Incriminating documents and digital evidence establishing FEMA violations were seized.
The probe revealed that casino staff were allegedly promoting online gambling platforms, including rolex777.co, iCasino247.com, play247s.com, Win Daddy, and Poker Daddy. Poker chips were allegedly exchanged for foreign currency, and winnings were disbursed in foreign denominations.
The ED stated it also found that cryptocurrency wallets belonging to poker players were being used for financial transactions, with Angadia services facilitating USDT transfers to Dubai and other overseas locations. Several mule accounts were identified for deposits and withdrawals of gambling winnings, which were later routed to individuals abroad.
The ED said further investigation is in progress.
