The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a major crackdown on an alleged fraud network operating through online gaming platforms and illicit financial channels in Meerut and Bijnor. Acting early Wednesday morning, multiple ED teams conducted coordinated raids across several locations, initiating a detailed examination of digital records, documents, and financial transactions. Security personnel from central forces were deployed during the operation.
According to sources, two ED teams arrived in Meerut around 5 a.m. in a convoy of six vehicles. One team reached Sadhan village under Incholi police station limits, where a search operation was conducted at the residence of Shubham, son of Sharandev. Another team reached Mohalla Khairat Ali in Mawana town to investigate the house of Alec Zaidi.
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During the raids, the premises were sealed from inside while officials thoroughly examined documents and electronic devices. In Mawana, investigators questioned Asad, father of Alec Zaidi. He informed officials that his son had been staying at his maternal uncle’s residence in Agra for the past three days. The ED instructed that he be called back immediately, but he did not return till late evening, after which the team left the premises.
Sources said Alec Zaidi comes from a modest family background, with his father running a small cloth shop and also working as a street vendor. Alec is the eldest son in the family.
Investigating agencies believe the case is linked to illegal earnings generated through online gaming platforms. It is alleged that the network used gaming apps and online betting systems to collect funds from users and circulate money through layered channels to obscure its origin.
Officials indicated that the probe is focusing on digital transactions, gaming wallets, and possible use of crypto-based transfers or hawala-style routing to conceal illicit proceeds. The ED is currently tracing the entire money trail to identify beneficiaries and operators behind the network.
Sources further stated that Alec Zaidi reportedly has prior experience working in a bank in Dubai. He has also been previously accused in cases related to cheating under the guise of sending people abroad and had spent time in jail in Delhi. He is currently out on bail, according to officials. Agencies are now examining his alleged international connections and digital transaction patterns.
In addition to the Meerut raids, another ED team conducted searches in Bijnor district’s Mirapur Khas village under Afzalgarh police station limits in the Kadarabad region. The raid took place at a local property around 6 a.m., with central security forces and local police providing support.
Officials carried out an extensive search of the premises, collecting documents and digital records linked to online gaming activities. The operation continued late into the evening, during which several suspicious banking transactions were also examined.
The ED is now expanding its investigation into the network’s foreign links, digital payment systems, and financial trails. Preliminary findings have revealed multiple questionable transactions, which are currently undergoing forensic analysis.
