In a significant development in the case of international drug smuggler and former DMK official Jaffer Sadiq, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Chennai has provisionally attached assets worth ₹55.30 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
These assets include 14 properties, such as the JSM Residency Hotel and a luxury bungalow, and 7 high-end vehicles, including Jaguars and Mercedes, reportedly acquired illegally.
ED, Chennai has provisionally attached assets (14 immovable properties, such as the JSM Residency Hotel and a luxurious bungalow, and 7 high-end vehicles like Jaguar and Mercedes) worth Rs 55.30 Crore belonging to Jaffer Sadiq and associates on 2/09/2024 under the PMLA, 2002. pic.twitter.com/jv0p9llWUy
— Mahalingam Ponnusamy (@mahajournalist) September 5, 2024
This asset attachment follows a recent court decision. On 16 July 2024, the Principal Sessions and Special Court, which handles PMLA cases, granted the ED three days of custody for Jaffer Sadiq. The ruling, issued by Judge S. Alli, followed the ED’s request for 15 days of custody. Instead, the judge approved custody from 17 July to 19 July 2024, with provisions allowing relatives to visit Sadiq.
It is noteworthy to mention that the attached property, JSM Residency, was inaugurated by DMK Minister Sekarbabu along with Dravidianist-Islamist film director Ameer in August 2022.
JSM.RESIDENCY. Hotel. திரு.மாண்புமிகு அமைச்சர். P.K. சேகர் பாபு. MLA. இந்து சமய அறநிலையத்துறை அமைச்சர். அவர்கள் திறந்து வைத்தார். சிறப்பு விருந்தினராக இயக்குனர் நடிகர். திரு. அமீர் அவர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டு விழா சிறப்பித்தார். இதன் pic.twitter.com/EsZQFkAf6a
— Chennai journalist (@ibrahim_Ajay) August 2, 2022
On 15 July 2024, the Principal Sessions and Special Court placed Sadiq in judicial custody for 15 days related to a money laundering case filed by the ED. This decision followed his transfer from Tihar Jail to Chennai, where the ED sought Jaffer Sadiq’s remand after formally arresting him through a prisoner transfer warrant issued by the NCB.
This action follows an investigation into Jaffer Sadiq Abdul Rehman, a former DMK functionary who is a key figure in a drug cartel involved in smuggling pseudoephedrine and ketamine.
Who Is Jaffer Sadiq?
Sadiq, a producer of five Tamil films, was the leader of a cartel responsible for shipping Pseudoephedrine from India to Australia and New Zealand, as per the sources. Four other individuals from Tamil Nadu were apprehended in a Delhi warehouse.
Sadiq, who was affiliated with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and serving as the Deputy Organiser for the Chennai West NRI Wing, was permanently expelled from the party on 25 February 2024 following the revelation of his involvement with the drug cartel. The case unraveled when authorities from New Zealand and Australia alerted Indian agencies about substantial drug smuggling in their countries, disguised as food products. The NCB was probing the possibility of drug money being used to fund films.
In February, New Zealand customs and Australian police provided information about large amounts of pseudoephedrine, hidden in desiccated coconut powder, being shipped to both countries. Additional information from the US Drug Enforcement Administration pointed to Delhi as the source of the consignment.
An international drug trafficking network has been broken up by a combined operation from the NCB and the Special Cell of Delhi Police, resulting in the seizure of at least 50 kg of Pseudoephedrine in Delhi.
Following extensive questioning, officials disclosed that over the past three years, 45 shipments containing roughly 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine, worth over ₹2,000 crore in the international market, had been dispatched.
On 9 March 2024, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) announced the arrest of Jaffer Sadiq, the mastermind behind the India-Australia-New Zealand drug trafficking network. According to the NCB, Sadiq is reportedly the mastermind behind the drug trafficking ring spanning India, Australia, and New Zealand. Sadiq, who has five film productions to his credit, allegedly operated a cartel that transported pseudoephedrine from India to Australia and New Zealand. Four individuals from Tamil Nadu were apprehended in a Delhi warehouse two weeks prior.
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