The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out raids at the home of a YouTuber and social media influencer in Uttar Pradesh in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting. The YouTuber, Anurag Dwivedi from Unnao district, is accused of making large amounts of money by promoting online betting and gambling apps. Officials said he was living a very lavish lifestyle, according to a report by Money Control.
A major part of Dwivedi’s income allegedly came from Sky Exchange and other betting apps. Online betting is illegal in India, and officials claim the money earned from these apps was moved through multiple routes before being used to buy expensive cars and other assets, NDTV reported citing officials.
The agency is now working to identify others linked to the network, calculate the total illegal earnings, and track where the money was invested. More seizures and action against other accused are likely.
Why is he under the ED scanner?
The case began with an FIR filed by West Bengal Police over illegal betting operations being run from Siliguri by accused persons such as Sonu Kumar Thakur and Vishal Bhardwaj. Investigators said they used mule bank accounts, Telegram channels and other digital platforms to operate large online gambling networks that involved cheating and forgery.
During the probe, the ED traced the money trail and identified social media influencer Anurag Dwivedi as a key link in the network. Officials said Dwivedi aggressively promoted these illegal betting platforms through viral YouTube videos, which attracted a huge number of users and sharply increased the scale of the illegal betting operations.
Investigators also alleged that Dwivedi created promotional content for illegal betting apps and received payments through hawala operators, mule accounts and cash middlemen. Large sums of money were allegedly moved through the bank accounts of his companies and family members without valid reasons. He is also accused of using illegal earnings to buy properties abroad, especially in Dubai.
Luxury cars seized during searches at Unnao residence
During the searches, the ED seized multiple cars from his Unnao house, including a Lamborghini Urus, BMW Z-4, Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Thar and a Mercedes-Benz.
The ED has started action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Investigators allege that Dwivedi tried to show assets bought with illegal money as legal. His house in Unnao was searched to identify and seize such properties. Officials also said he promoted betting and gambling apps on his YouTube channel, encouraging people to join these platforms and helping the illegal business expand.