New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen 110 mule bank accounts and seized ₹70 lakh in cash after searches conducted in connection with a money laundering probe tied to a major drug trafficking case in Delhi. The agency also uncovered evidence of Dubai-based cryptocurrency wallets being used to move illicit funds.
The searches, carried out on November 14 across five locations in Delhi-NCR and Jaipur, were based on an NCB complaint filed in November 2024 following the seizure of 82.53 kg of high-grade cocaine. The narcotics haul, valued at around ₹900 crore, had earlier led to the arrest of five individuals by the NCB.
According to the ED, the raids revealed an online betting and gambling network operating through mobile applications. Investigators found that 110 mule bank accounts—73 of them linked to UPI IDs and digital wallets—were being used to channel transactions connected to the betting operations. Mule accounts are often created using stolen or fake identities to move illegal funds discreetly.
The agency also recovered financial documents and digital devices indicating the use of Dubai-based crypto wallets to facilitate cross-border transfers. In addition to freezing the accounts, the ED seized cash, digital records, and other incriminating material.
The investigation into the suspected drug trafficking and money laundering network is ongoing.
