HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth approximately Rs 442.35 crore in the RummyCulture money-laundering case, taking the total value of assets attached, frozen and seized in the probe to about Rs 2,843 crore.
The latest attachment order, dated September 25, was issued by the ED’s Bengaluru zonal office under the PMLA Act and covers fixed deposits, commercial shops, a villa and residential properties held by family members, private family trusts and entities linked to shareholders of Gameskraft Technologies Pvt Ltd.
The ED said its probe was based on multiple FIRs registered by Telangana police for cheating offences. The agency alleged that Gameskraft Technologies and RummyTime Technologies operated online real-money rummy platforms under brands including RummyCulture, RummyPrime, Playship and RummyTime. The platforms had around 3 crore users across India, including a significant number from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where such gaming was banned, it said.
‘Bots used to dupe customers’
According to the ED, the companies charged commissions of 10% to 15% on amounts staked by users. It also alleged that bots were used against users without their knowledge, causing financial losses. It added that promotional offers, bonuses, referral incentives and withdrawal restrictions were used to encourage continued participation.
The investigation also examined around `1,035 crore spent on promotional and marketing activities, the ED said. Users who had stopped playing after suffering losses were allegedly targeted with cash credits, promotional offers, push notifications, SMS campaigns and telemarketing calls.
The agency alleged that proceeds were subsequently routed through dividend payments and share buy-backs, and invested in mutual funds, bonds, convertible notes, equity shares and high-value movable and immovable assets.