YouTuber's Dubai Wedding Under Scrutiny Amid Money Laundering 'Links'

The heat on YouTuber Anurag Dwivedi intensified as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) turned its eye on his lavish Dubai wedding amid his alleged money laundering links.

Accused of promoting illegal online betting apps, Dwivedi married his school friend on a cruise ship in Dubai last month, with several celebrities in attendance. Dwivedi, currently in Dubai, is allegedly not cooperating with the investigation. Officials said the ED has summoned Dwivedi for questioning in this case "multiple" times but he has not deposed.

The ED on Thursday raided nine premises linked to the case involving Dwivedi in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Lucknow, and his uncle's house in Nawabganj. Among the luxury cars seized were Lamborghinis, BMWs and Mercedes. Documents that purportedly show that he has "invested in real estate in Dubai via Hawala" by utilising the money generated from illegal online betting were also recovered.

ED found four high-end cars, including Lamborghini Urus, BMW Z4 and Mercedes, at Dwivedi's UP house.

The ED case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from an FIR of the West Bengal Police registered on charges of cheating, forgery and illegal betting activities. An online betting and gambling panel was being operated from Siliguri by accused named Sonu Kumar Thakur and Vishal Bhardwaj using "suspicious" bank accounts, Telegram channels and other digital platforms. Dwivedi, officials claimed, played an "active" role in promoting illegal online betting platforms.

Money was received in the bank accounts of Dwivedi's companies and those of his family members without corresponding legitimate commercial justification, PTI reported.

Dwivedi, originally from Nawabganj, has been associated with online gaming for the past seven years. He creates videos on cricket and cricketers and has a substantial social media following.

With agency inputs