Eight cash courier units (Angadias) had their premises searched by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering investigation via the Mahadev Book app, a gambling platform with connections to organised crime.
According to sources, the anti-money laundering agency raided these Angadias in the South and Malad regions of Mumbai on the grounds that they may have played a significant part in providing money to hawala operators on the direction of the promoters of the Mahadev Book app, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal.
For a tiny percentage fee, jewellers, bullion traders, and other businesses utilise angadias, or traditional messengers, to deliver liquid cash and precious metals.
These Angadias are allegedly suspected of taking part in money laundering for Chandrakar’s wedding, which took place in Dubai in February of this year, according to the investigation agency. According to sources, millions of rupees are thought to have been sent through the Angadias to an event management company that had booked movie stars to attend the event.
The CIA believes that hawala operators used cash to pay the performers.
The event management company had also been the target of ED raids in August.
Under the name Mahadev Book app, Chandrakar and his partner Uppal developed a number of websites and applications that offer platforms for online gambling and betting, both of which are against the law. It is thought that the two, who are from Chhattisgarh, are hiding in Dubai.
The Mahadev Book app has thousands of franchisees across the nation, with Chhattisgarh having the most, and its annual revenue is expected to be between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore.
Additionally, it is claimed that Chandrakar and Uppal regularly bribed a number of police officers, some of whom had travelled to Dubai to see the two wanted accused.
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