ED, Nagpur Sub-Zonal Office, conducted search operations on August 18, 2026, at 12 premises located in Nagpur, Gondia, and Ahmedabad under the PMLA, 2002. These premises are linked to Anant Navratan Jain (alias Sontu Jain) and his associates. This action was taken in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation regarding online gaming and betting fraud involving manipulated platforms such as DiamondExchange.com, Wolf777.com, World777.com, and others. During the search operations, cash amounting to ₹30.30 lakh and various incriminating documents related to the accumulation of assets were recovered and seized. Additionally, over 100 bank accounts, mutual fund holdings, and treasury assets—with a total value/balance of approximately ₹5 crore—were frozen, along with two bank lockers and three luxury vehicles valued at approximately ₹1.70 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Nagpur Sub-Zonal Office, conducted searches on August 18, 2026, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) at 12 premises located in Nagpur, Gondia, and Ahmedabad. These premises are linked to accused Anant Navratna Jain, alias Sontu Jain, and his associates. This action was taken in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation into online gaming and betting fraud involving manipulated gaming platforms, including Diamond Exchange.com, Wolf777.com, World777.com, and others.
The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR lodged at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Nagpur city against Anant Navratna Jain alias Sontu Jain and others for offences punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
An investigation conducted under the PMLA revealed that Anant Navratna Jain, alias Sontu Jain, lured the complainant into investing large sums of money in online gaming by promising high returns in a short period of time. The complainant was provided links to illegal gaming platforms, including Diamond Exchange, Indian Exchange, Lotusbook, and World 777, and was repeatedly induced to deposit larger amounts despite repeated losses. The gaming platforms were manipulated in such a way that whenever the complainant was in a position to win, technical errors or glitches would occur, preventing him from receiving his winnings. Through these alleged fraudulent and manipulative activities, the complainant was defrauded of approximately ₹58.42 crore.
The investigation further revealed that the proceeds from such illegal gaming activities were collected through multiple channels. The complainant was instructed to make payments through designated couriers, either in cash or using hawala-style “token” currency notes for identification and reconciliation, or through bank transfers to designated “agent accounts” designated by Sontu Jain. Several such mule bank accounts, operated in the names of various individuals/entities, were used by the accused and their associates to receive, layer, and launder the proceeds of crime. Analysis of these mule bank accounts revealed large-scale transactions totaling several crores of rupees, which were either withdrawn in cash or sent out of India for fraudulent import payments.
During the searches conducted on August 18, 2026, the ED seized cash worth ₹30.30 lakh and froze over 100 bank accounts, mutual funds, and shares, with a total value/balance of approximately ₹5 crore. Additionally, two bank lockers and three luxury vehicles worth approximately ₹1.70 crore were also frozen. Eleven mobile phones and one laptop containing potential digital evidence related to illegal gaming activities and financial transactions were also seized. Additionally, incriminating documents related to immovable properties worth approximately ₹16.50 crore were seized. The searches resulted in the recovery of crucial financial and digital evidence and helped advance the investigation into the alleged generation, concealment, possession, layering, and utilization of proceeds of crime generated from illegal online gaming operations.
Further investigation is underway.
