The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a major operation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, conducting raids across Goa, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Rajkot. The raids, which took place on September 28th and 29th, targeted 15 locations connected to Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited, Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment Private Limited, and the Big Daddy Casino in Goa.
The ED recovered approximately 2.25 crore rupees in Indian currency, 14,000 US dollars, and foreign currencies valued at 8.50 lakh rupees. Additionally, cryptocurrencies, including USDT, worth over 90 lakh rupees were frozen. The ED also seized multiple incriminating documents and digital evidence.
**Foreign Currency Converted into Poker Chips**
Investigations revealed that customers at the casino were provided poker chips in exchange for foreign currency. Winnings were also paid out in foreign currency. Employees associated with Golden Globe Hotels were actively advertising online gambling platforms, including rolex777.co, iCasino247.com, play247s.com, Win Daddy, and Poker Daddy.
**Crypto and Hawala Network**
The ED’s inquiry exposed the use of poker players’ crypto wallets for financial dealings. USDT was being transferred to Dubai and other countries via Hawala channels. The network employed mule accounts for depositing winnings and sending funds overseas.
**ED’s Statement**
The ED confirmed that the seized documents and digital evidence reveal violations of FEMA and a network of cross-border Hawala-crypto transactions. The investigation is ongoing, and further discoveries are expected.