Tamil Nadu: ED conducts searches at various properties of lottery king Santiago Martin

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently carried out searches at various properties owned by the Santiago Martin including his residence and office. Martin is known as ‘lottery king’ as he reportedly operates lottery businesses in Tamil Nadu and the north-eastern states.

Searches were carried out at Martin’s residence at Thudiallur Vellakinar in Coimbatore district, his Homeopathic Medical College Hospital and the corporate office in relation to financial irregularities and money laundering. The searches were also conducted at the houses of Martin’s son and son-in-law Arjun, according to Newsroom Post.

Martin has also been under investigation previously by the ED and other authorities, too. Last year, ED attached properties worth Rs 173.48 crore belonging to him and few others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). A case was also filed against him by the Kochi Enforcement Division for obtaining Rs 910 crore by allegedly violating the law through the sale of lottery tickets and engaging in illegal financial transactions.

Incidentally, Martin’s son-in-law Arjun is also set to be DMK’s chief election strategist for the 2024 elections. Arjun is said to have close links with DMK lead MK Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan.

Interestingly, Martin’s son, Charles Martin, had recently met with the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in Chennai as part of a delegation of All India Federation of Lottery Trade & Allied Industries (AIFLTAI).

In a LinkedIn post, Charles said that the minister was briefed on unlocking the lottery industry’s potential which would generate over five crore jobs in the country and potentially Rs 1.3 lakh crore annual GST revenues.

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