ED busts fake cryptocurrency racket during raids in J&K, Ladakh, Haryana
Srinagar, Aug 4 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Sunday that Rs one crore cash and incriminating documents have been seized during raids in Jammu, Sonipat (Haryana) and Leh in connection with a fake cryptocurrency business scam.
The ED officials said the search and raid operation was undertaken on August 2 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Officials said that through this racket people, including those of Leh in the Ladakh region, were cheated by assuring them of doubling their investment in a short period of 10 months through investment in a fake cryptocurrency named 'Emollient Coin'.
It was the first that ED conducted raids in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
“This fake cryptocurrency was represented and promoted by Naresh Gulia of Sonipat through a company named Emollient Coin Limited that was incorporated in September 2017 in the United Kingdom," the officials said.
“The business was promoted in Leh by Ajay Kumar Chaudhary and Charanjeet Singh alias Chunni of Jammu and Attiul Rehman Mir of Leh. The investors were assured that their investment would be doubled in 10 months and they would get a fixed percentage commission through the marketing of the fake cryptocurrency.," the officials further said.
The money laundering investigation stems from a March 2020 FIR filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The money collected from this alleged fraud business was laundered and utilised for personal use and the purchase of various immovable properties and assets by the accused.
“An amount of Rs 1 crore in cash was seized apart from several incriminating documents, property documents and digital devices during the searches, " said the officials.
The ES, however, did not specify from which location or premise the cash and documents were seized.
The officials said that people should remain cautious about fraudsters offering doubling of their investments which are much beyond the bona fide interest rates offered by the RBI and those offered by the Public Provident Fund and other genuine financial investments.