The sleuths of Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 30 locations in the State connected to Jaffar Sadiq, an expelled DMK functionary and a film producer who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau last month in a ₹2,000 crore drug trafficking case, sources said.
These searches were conducted at the house belonging to Jaffer Sadiq in Arulanandam Street, Mylapore, film director Ameer’s office in T. Nagar and his house at Chetpet, at the house of Buhari hotel’s owner Buhari, in Shastri Nagar, Adyar, JSM hotels in Purasawalkam, an house in Kodungaiyur and an office of tour and travel operator in Eldams Road and Teynampet.
Sadiq is said to be the mastermind behind a drug syndicate which sent 45 consignments over the past three years to countries including Australia and New Zealand, containing approximately 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine worth ₹2,000 crore in the guise of food products
Following inputs from Australian and New Zealand authorities on frequent smuggling of pseudoephedrine to their countries from Delhi, the NCB and Delhi Police conducted a joint operation and arrested three of his associates along with 50 kg of drugs in West Delhi while they were packing in mid-February.
On their confession, the NCB launched a hunt to nab Jaffer Sadiq who took to heels. Then he was arrested by the NCB subsequently in Delhi last Month. He revealed that he had invested the crime proceeds from the drug smuggling in real- estate, film and hotel. The NCB also probed the link of Ameer who has directed a yet-to-be-released movie produced by Sadiq, two more business associates- Abdul Fazid Buhari and Syed Ibrahim.
Following certain information gathered by NCB during interrogation with Jaffer Sadiq and his associates, this case is being investigated by the ED to unearth a money trail. The officers of ED began their searches at 30 locations connected to Sadiq and his associates, said sources.
