The Enforcement Directorate (ED) press release issued on 27 May 2026, has triggered confusion after it identified a “John Britto” as the alleged mastermind behind two major cross-border narcotics smuggling operations involving hashish and methamphetamine with a combined estimated value of more than ₹250 crore.
According to the ED, the accused John Britto allegedly coordinated the procurement and movement of narcotic substances, routed payments through hawala channels, and operated the network remotely from a foreign location. The agency stated that searches were conducted at five locations in Chennai and Ramanathapuram as part of its money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Soon after the press release was made public, questions began circulating on social media over whether the accused was the same person as P. John Britto, the brother of AIADMK MLA Leema Rose. P. John Britto had previously served as a director of Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd., the lottery business promoted by Santiago Martin.
The speculation gained traction because P. John Britto, Leema Rose, and Daisy Martin had earlier figured in a separate ED investigation connected to the Future Gaming group. As a result, some social media users and commentators assumed that the “John Britto” mentioned in the latest narcotics case was the same individual associated with the lottery company.
However, ED officials have clarified that the two individuals are not the same person.
Sources familiar with the investigation stated that although both individuals share the name “John Britto,” the accused named in the narcotics smuggling case is a different person altogether and has no connection to P. John Britto of Future Gaming based on the information currently available in the investigation.
BOTH ARE NOT THE SAME…@dir_ed , Chennai Zonal Office has conducted search operations at five places located in Chennai & Ramanathapuram in a matter related to cross-border smuggling of narcotic substances, under PMLA, 2002, on 26.05.2026. During the search operations, various… pic.twitter.com/wCQ1IyQ59N
— A Selvaraj (@Crime_Selvaraj) June 8, 2026
While P. John Britto’s name had surfaced in the context of the Future Gaming investigation, the “John Britto” identified by the ED in the latest narcotics money laundering probe is a distinct individual, according to officials.
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