Chinese loan apps: ED freezes funds worth Rs 9.82 cr in payment gateways

The ED has frozen Rs 9.82 crore worth funds kept in merchant IDs with certain online payment gateways as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against a "Chinese-controlled" investment token app.

This is the second time that the ED has frozen funds kept in merchant IDs with certain online payment gateways.

"Various Chinese-controlled entities like Comein Network Technology Private Limited and others, in service agreements with various NBFCs (non banking financial companies) were also operating multiple suspicious loan/other apps such as Cashhome, Cashmart, Easyloan etc. and they indulge in receiving funds from public on pretext of operating these apps (mobile applications)," the federal agency said in a statement.

The app-based token under investigation in this case is HPZ and the entities whose funds have been frozen under the anti-money laundering law include Comein Network Technology Private Ltd, Mobicred Technology Private Ltd, Magic Data Technology Private Ltd, Bait