‘Lottery king’ Santiago Martin under ED scanner as agency conducts nationwide searches

The Enforcement Directorate is conducting searches at various locations across India, including at the premises of ‘Lottery king’ Santiago Martin in Tamil Nadu, in connection with the probe into alleged lottery scam. The raids are being conducted at over 20 locations across the country.

According to reports, in Tamil Nadu, ED is conducting raids at multiple locations in Chennai and Coimbatore. The searches are being conducted at his residence and offices in both cities and at places related to his relatives. Reportedly, raids are being conducted at his residences in Chennai’s Poes Garden, his office in T.Nagar and at the premises of his children. In Coimbatore, raids are reportedly being conducted at his house and office in Thudiyalur, and at a homeopathy college owned by him nearby.

The money laundering case registered against Martin stems from an FIR filed by Tamil Nadu police’s crime branch in 2012, following the seizure of over Rs 7 crore cash from the residence of one of his aides. The police recently filed a closure report at a lower court in the case and it acquitted Martin and his accomplices. ED challenged the order at the Madras High Court. The High Court set aside the lower court’s order and directed further probe into the case.

The Future Gaming Solutions India Pvt Ltd, owned by Martin is the master distributor of Sikkim lotteries. ED last year attached assets worth about Rs 457 crore in a case against Martin linked to an alleged loss of over Rs 900 crore to the Sikkim government by fraudulent sale of the state lottery in Kerala, PTI reported.

Martin reportedly has close ties with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. After details regarding the purchase of electoral bonds came to light, it emerged Martin’s company was the largest purchaser of the bonds meant for donations to political parties, worth more than Rs 1,300 crore, between 2019 and 2024.