Wheels within wheels: ED joins fray in crackdown on Ibomma’s shady fin ops

Hyderabad: Immadi Ravi, identified as the mastermind behind the illegal streaming and betting empire associated with the notorious piracy website Ibomma, was recently apprehended by Telangana police following a protracted international hunt.

The case, which had severely shaken the Telugu film industry with reported losses running into thousands of crores, has taken a critical turn with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stepping in. The ED will conduct a deeper probe into money laundering and financial crimes linked to Ravi’s global operations.

Authorities uncovered that Ravi’s bank accounts, including foreign accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, saw transactions worth crores of rupees. This revelation prompted the ED to take an active role in investigating possible money laundering activities on an international scale. Police have already frozen over Rs 3.5 crore in domestic bank accounts linked to him, with substantial amounts also traced to accounts held overseas. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Sajjanar confirmed that Ravi employed sophisticated methods, such as Cloudflare hosting and frequent domain switching, to evade numerous takedown efforts, allowing him to continue his illegal activities despite challenges from law enforcement.

Ravi’s widespread operations posed a serious threat not only to the film industry’s revenue but also to the financial stability and digital safety of the country’s citizens. His arrest has sharply illuminated the clear nexus between film piracy and illegal betting, indicating a complex criminal racket that expertly exploits digital platforms for massive financial gain.

With the ED now preparing to seek custody of Immadi Ravi, further interrogation is widely expected to reveal the full extent of the sophisticated financial networks and all individuals involved, spanning from technical teams and investors to advertisers. Authorities have also indicated the possibility of the involvement of other accomplices as the investigation rapidly expands its scope.

The Telugu film industry and law enforcement agencies have welcomed this aggressive crackdown, hoping it will serve as a strong deterrent against both piracy and illegal betting—crimes that have severely damaged the entertainment sector and financially exploited millions of people across the region.

Immadi Ravi currently remains lodged in Chanchalguda jail, with a five-day police custody order recently issued to allow for further in-depth questioning by the authorities. The case is being viewed as a significant victory against large-scale digital crime and stands as a stern warning to all those engaged in similar illegal activities.

The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police apprehended Ravi on November 14, shortly after his return from Europe. Initial investigations revealed that Ravi has been running a sophisticated digital piracy network that not only illegally streams newly released films but also crucially diverts millions of internet users to illegal betting platforms such as 1win and 1xbet. These covert operations are believed to have caused huge financial exploitation of the public, with the accused earning crores by strategically promoting betting applications alongside the pirated content.