On Tuesday the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids in multiple cities in Tamil Nadu in connection with drug trafficking-linked money laundering cases. The case was registered against former DMK functionary Jaffer Sadiq and others.
25 premises in the state capital Chennai, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli are being searched by Enforcement Directorate officials, accompanied by an escort of central paramilitary forces, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The premises of Sadiq, who is also a producer of Tamil films, film director Ameer, and some others are under the scrutiny of the enforcement director.
According to the sources, Sadiq, 36 of age, was allegedly involved in the smuggling of about 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine with a street value of more than ₹ 2,000 crore. In connection to this case, he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) last month.
Meanwhile, when the matter came to light the Enforcement Directorate took cognisance of this NCB case and some other FIRs to file the money laundering case against Sadiq and others.
According to NCB, Sadiq has links with Tamil and Hindi film financers, some “high-profile” people, and some instances of “political funding” are also under the scanner.
Sadiq was expelled by the ruling DMK in February after his name and purported links to the drugs network were mentioned by the NCB.
