New Delhi: Several politicians and film personalities from Tamil Nadu are under the scanner of the intelligence agencies as suspected recipients of drug money. Making the revelation, Gyaneshwar Singh, deputy director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) told ETV Bharat that the agency is investigating all factors following the arrest of drug kingpin Jaffer Sadiq Abdul Rahman from New Delhi on Saturday.
During the interrogation, Jaffer Sadiq confessed that he was the former deputy head of the NRI wing of Chennai's west district of DMK. He further stated that he invested more than Rs 5 crore in movie productions, Singh said. Quoting investigation, Singh further stated that the latest Tamil movie, “Mangai”, is also completed with drug money.
“Jaffer Sadiq reportedly invested in real estate. He partnered with renowned personalities in the Tamil film industry. He has also built a hotel in Chennai using drug money,” said Singh quoting the investigation report. The agency is also exploring its connection with Bollywood. Claiming that Jaffer Sadiq was one of the kingpins of a huge drug network spread over several places in India and New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, Singh said he was arrested in connection with the seizure of 50 kg Pseudoephedrine.
“On specific intelligence inputs, the NCB in close coordination with the Delhi police special cell arrested Sadiq on March 9, who was absconding since February 15. The NCB seized 50.070 kg of Pseudoephedrine from the godown of a firm named Aventa Company and arrested his three accomplices,” Singh informed.
“He went into hiding on February 17. He later went to Trivandrum, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Jaipur and finally landed in a hotel in Jaipur,” Singh said. During the interrogation, Sadiq confessed to having sent more than 3,000 kg of Pseudoephedrine to Australia and New Zealand till date. “He confessed to having sent more than 30 parcels to Australia. He used to get Rs 1 lakh per kg of Pseudoephedrine,” Singh said.
Sadiq also confessed to having earned more than Rs 10 crore till date through the drug business. “His (Sadiq’s) financial linkages to drug trafficking are under investigation to identify his source of funds and the beneficiaries of proceeds of drugs. The investigation is still underway and more details will be revealed soon,” Singh claimed.
Pseudoephedrine is a precursor chemical that is used in the manufacture of Methamphetamine, a dangerous and highly addictive synthetic drug. Even though it has some legal uses, it is classified as a controlled substance in India, bringing strict regulations on its production, possession, trade, export and use. Illegal possession and trade are punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment under the NDPS Act, of 1985. In 2019, Sadiq’s name cropped up in a similar case of Mumbai customs wherein he was sending ketamine to Malaysia. “Linkages with film producers and financiers in Mumbai are also being probed,” said Singh.
Read more: NCB Arrests Ex-DMK Functionary Jaffer Sadiq In Rs 2000 Cr Drug Trafficking Case
