![Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan [Source: @sports141625/X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1762431967674_SureshRainaandShikharDhawan_11zon.jpg?type=hq)
Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan [Source: @sports141625/X]
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken some strict actions in its investigation of an illegal offshore betting racket, and as a result, it has frozen assets worth more than ₹11 crore of ex-Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, along with other attachments.
The attachments come under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and form part of a comprehensive probe into the 1xBet betting platform and its affiliated brands 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.
ED attaches Raina and Dhawan’s assets amid 1xBet money laundering probe
As per reports, the allegations against the two cricketers were that they had signed promotional agreements with businesses linked to 1xBet, which is a platform that is banned in India for the purpose of online betting. The agency alleges that money obtained from these transactions was sent through numerous foreign intermediaries to conceal the real source, and thus a series of layered transactions was created, which on paper appeared to be lawful.
As per the temporary attachment order, the ED took over mutual fund investments worth ₹6.64 crore linked to Suresh Raina and an immovable property of ₹4.5 crore that is owned by Shikhar Dhawan. Officials mentioned that the cricketers had “knowingly” promoted the betting platform while they knew that it was operating illegally in India.
Inquiry has uncovered the involvement of famous names from sports and entertainment who are now facing investigation, such as Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, actors Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, Mimi Chakraborty, and Ankush Hazra, among others. As per reports, the ED's interrogation of this group revolved around the financial aspect of the deals and their knowledge of illegal operations behind the endorsements.
Illegal betting network under the lens for laundering over ₹1,000 crore
According to the ED's revelations, a major money-laundering scheme was behind a figure of more than ₹1,000 crore, involving numerous covert accounts that were used to collect deposits of Indian bettors. The money was allegedly taken through unconfirmed payment gateways and foreign companies before it was brought back to India as "clean" money.
The recent raids on four payment gateways have led to the freezing of over ₹4 crore and 60 bank accounts and the seizure of digital evidence related to these suspicious transactions. The federal agency believes that the 1xBet network, whose headquarters are in Curacao, was promoting heavily through surrogate promotions and influencer endorsements to increase its penetration in India even though betting was legally prohibited.
