Enforcement Directorate
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided several properties in Kolkata as part of its investigation into an alleged multi-state money laundering operation linked to Santiago Martin, the so-called “Lottery King.” The raids, conducted between Thursday night and Friday, were part of an operation targeting around 20 premises across multiple states, including Tamil Nadu and Sikkim. ED officials seized ₹3 crore in cash and other records from two properties in south Kolkata’s Lake Road area and a warehouse in Michael Nagar.
This raid follows the reopening of a 2012 money laundering probe into Martin’s lottery operations by the Madras High Court. The investigation is probing Martin’s alleged involvement in illegal activities, including operating a fraudulent lottery system, where prizes were reportedly declared on unsold tickets, often linked to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.
The BJP has seized on the raid to accuse the TMC government of complicity in the alleged lottery scam. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, claimed that TMC leaders and the state government received ₹600 crore in electoral bonds from Martin’s company. Adhikari also accused Birbhum district TMC president Anubrata Mondal and his relatives of benefiting from the illegal lottery scheme, alleging that Mondal’s family won the first prize in 2021.
The BJP has raised further concerns, alleging that the TMC government has allowed money laundering activities to flourish by shutting down the state-run lottery system, thus benefiting illegal operators like Martin. Anubrata Mondal, who was recently released on bail from Tihar Jail in the cattle smuggling case, is also facing scrutiny in connection to the lottery scam.
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Alongside the ED’s probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating whether Mondal used prize-winning lottery tickets to launder proceeds from illegal activities, including his involvement in the cattle smuggling case. Records indicate that Mondal won ₹1 crore in the lottery in December 2021, though he denied any involvement when his photo appeared in an advertisement declaring him as the winner.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the allegations, stating that anyone could buy a lottery ticket and win a prize. He suggested that Suvendu Adhikari, instead of making accusations, should cooperate with the ED and become a witness in the case. Ghosh’s defense came amid growing political tensions, as the BJP continues to target the TMC government for its alleged role in the ongoing scam.
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