ED freezes Rs 16.43 crore during raids at payment aggregators in Bengaluru, Pune

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen amounts totalling Rs 16.43 crore in a web-based mobile application called "Dani Data" and others.

The amount was frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 after the Ahmedabad Zonal Office of Enforcement Directorate conducted search operations at six premises of the payment aggregators located in Bengaluru and Pune on March 20.

The case is being probed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against the merchant IDs that were used for the collection of payment through the Dani Data App from the general public by the controllers of Dani Data App.

ED initiated investigation on the basis of First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Cyber Crime police station, Palanpur, in Guajatrat's Banaskantha district against the controllers of web-based application called "Dani Data" and others.

ED investigation revealed that the controllers of the web-based mobile application Dani Data offered a guaranteed return against the investment made by the public, with a minimum return of 0.75 per cent per game and thereby allured the Complainant and other persons to make Investments with them.

"Thousands of persons were allured in this way and they made deposits through the App and after a considerable amount was deposited through the App, the accused removed the application from the Google Play Store," the ED said.

From the charge sheet filed by Gujarat police, it is revealed that the accused including one Chinese National conspired with each other and thereby cheated and dishonestly induced thousands of investors to deposit crores of rupees through the said App.

In this case, on November 1 last year, ED conducted searches at 14 premises at different locations in Delhi and Gujarat.