The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The action is part of a wider probe into illegal offshore betting operations linked to 1xBet and its surrogate brands, 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.
According to sources, a provisional attachment order was issued to seize mutual fund investments worth ₹6.64 crore held in the name of Suresh Raina and an immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore owned by Shikhar Dhawan. The ED alleges that both cricketers received payments from entities associated with unlicensed betting platforms through layered transactions designed to disguise the origin of funds.
The ongoing investigation has reportedly uncovered a money-laundering network exceeding ₹1,000 crore, involving multiple payment gateways and thousands of “mule accounts.” The agency claims that 1xBet operated illegally in India, using surrogate branding and celebrity endorsements to promote its services.
The ED’s action against Raina and Dhawan marks a significant escalation in the probe, which has already brought several high-profile names under scrutiny. The attachments are provisional, pending further inquiry, and do not constitute a criminal conviction.
Both players have yet to issue official statements regarding the development.
