Karnal, Dec. 31 -- The ED conducted searches at multiple locations in Haryana and Chandigarh in connection with a case where some accused opened funds receiving accounts on global crypto currency exchange Binance and "cheated" investors by operating a "fraud" online platform. The central agency on Tuesday said that assets worth Rs.22.38 lakh were frozen and Rs.4 lakh cash seized. The probe also led to the discovery of immovable properties worth Rs.3 crore that were acquired in the name of the family members of the accused, the agency said. The raids were conducted by the agency's Chandigarh Zonal Office on December 24 in connection with cheating of crores of rupees under the guise of investment in the name of a fake entity "Crypto World Trading Company". ED initiated investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Haryana Police, against Vikas Kalra, Tarun Taneja, Kapil Kumar and Pawan Kumar at Ambala in August 2022. All the accused were arrested then and the police seized assets worth Rs.60 lakh along with an Innova SUV in the case, in which the accused used to dupe scores of victims by luring them into fake digital currency scam. The investigations had then revealed that the amount was taken from the victims in cash and were being mostly defrauded through parties/events in the name of the rising digital currency market homonymous name like "cryptocurrency", asking them to invest in the multiples of Rs.8,000. The victims, mostly from the north Haryana region, were also lured for more profit, if more investors were added, just like the infamous "chain system." In a statement, the ED said that the search operations were carried out at nine locations across Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Chandigarh, where various incriminating documents and digital evidence have been seized. "Besides, 18 bank accounts having proceeds of crime worth Rs.22.38 lakh have been frozen along with seizure of Rs.4 lakh in cash. In addition, immovable properties worth Rs.3 crore (approx.) have also been unearthed. The proceeds of crime generated has been utilised in acquiring immovable properties in the name of the family members of the accused," it added. The agency said that investigation also revealed that the accused individuals, in collusion with each other, had cheated crores of rupees from numerous people in the city and surrounding areas by alluring them to invest in "Crypto World Trading Company"....