Fresh enforcement action has intensified against an alleged illegal online betting network, with authorities targeting assets linked to social media influencer and YouTuber Anurag Dwivedi.
The Enforcement Directorate’s Kolkata Zonal Office has seized 2 luxury vehicles and frozen multiple assets during coordinated raids carried out on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026. The searches covered 9 locations across Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Lucknow, and Varanasi as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation.
According to an official press release, ED officials seized a Land Rover Defender and a BMW Z4 registered in Dwivedi’s name. The searches also led to the recovery of incriminating documents and digital devices under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002.
This latest action follows earlier raids conducted on December 17, 2025, when the agency searched 10 premises in Lucknow, Unnao, and Delhi connected to the YouTuber. Those operations resulted in the seizure of 4 high-end vehicles, including a Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes, Ford Endeavour, and Thar, along with around Rs 20 lakh in cash, documents, and electronic devices.
The ED said evidence gathered during the December raids pointed to real estate investments in Dubai allegedly purchased through hawala channels. The agency also froze movable assets worth about Rs 3 crore, including insurance policies, fixed deposits, and bank balances, under Section 17(1A) of the PMLA, 2002.
The case originates from an FIR registered by the West Bengal Police in connection with illegal online betting operations. Investigations revealed that Sonu Kumar Thakur and Vishal Bhardwaj allegedly operated an online betting panel from Siliguri using mule bank accounts and digital platforms.
The ED claims that Dwivedi actively promoted illegal betting platforms and received proceeds of crime through mule accounts and hawala routes. These funds were allegedly used to acquire immovable properties in Dubai. The agency stated that Dwivedi has left India and is currently residing in Dubai, after failing to appear before investigators despite multiple summons.
Earlier, the ED arrested 3 individuals in this case and filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court (PMLA), Kolkata, on August 1, 2025. So far, movable assets worth about Rs 27 crore have been frozen or attached in the investigation.
The probe is ongoing as authorities continue to trace the flow of illicit funds across multiple channels and jurisdictions.
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