The Enforcement Directorate conducted coordinated raids at 12 locations across Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, and Gujarat on September 2, 2026. According to an operational briefing reported by The Hindu, the investigation targets payment gateway companies and Chartered Accountants suspected of facilitating money laundering for illegal online betting platforms.
The names of the specific payment companies and the total value of assets or funds seized during the raids have not been disclosed by the Enforcement Directorate, marking a verified information gap in the ongoing operation.
An Enforcement Directorate spokesperson stated that the raids were part of an ongoing probe into the financial architecture used by offshore betting syndicates to move funds out of India.
Representatives of the targeted payment companies have previously argued that they operate as neutral intermediaries and are not responsible for the underlying nature of the transactions processed on their platforms, according to industry representations made during prior regulatory inquiries.
This enforcement action follows a series of similar crackdowns by the Enforcement Directorate on fintech entities over the last 18 months, including the Mahadev betting app case which remains under active investigation.
Payment gateway operators in India face increased regulatory scrutiny and potential compliance audits, which may lead to stricter Know Your Customer requirements for high-risk merchant categories, as outlined in the downstream stakeholder assessment.
