Jaffer Sadiq, a former DMK member and the mastermind behind a large-scale drug trafficking operation, is believed to have actively recruited individuals holding international driving permits and stationed them in countries like New Zealand, Australia, Dubai, and Malaysia. These individuals were employed as drivers, with the covert task of assisting in his drug trade operations, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
This group of operatives formed part of Jaffer Sadiq’s extensive network, which he used to run his global drug syndicate. The ED’s investigation revealed that Sadiq was involved in sourcing pseudoephedrine, a controlled substance, and smuggling it abroad by disguising the drug within everyday items like desiccated coconut, food products, soda ash, and bangles.
The agency’s probe also uncovered an attempt by Sadiq to send three men—two from Pune and one from Ramanthapuram—to Auckland, New Zealand. These individuals were recruited to work as drivers with a monthly salary of ₹3.5 lakh. They had obtained forged IDs and resident visas for Dubai-based companies through bribery and fake documentation. However, their travel plans were thwarted when Dubai airport authorities stopped them due to a faulty visa.
The ED has filed a charge sheet against Jaffer Sadiq and 11 others, including his family members, film director Ameer, and eight companies used for laundering illicit proceeds. Investigators discovered cash deposits totaling ₹30 crore linked to entities controlled by Sadiq, which were funneled into the film industry through JSM Pictures and other businesses. Additionally, the ED has provisionally seized assets worth ₹55.3 crore, including properties and vehicles belonging to Sadiq and his associates.
From 2014 to 2024, Jaffer Sadiq used six front companies based in Delhi, Trichy, and Chennai to export 237 shipments of pseudoephedrine and ketamine to countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. The drugs were sent to 12 companies across these nations—five in Malaysia, six in Australia, and one in New Zealand. The ED’s investigation revealed that many of these companies were actually controlled by Sadiq and his network, operating covertly from India.
In February, during a raid at a location in Delhi, authorities discovered a purchase order and yellow stamps from two Australian companies—Linear Imports and Lovo Trading—that were receiving the shipments. This raised suspicions that the documentation for these shipments was being manipulated in India to deceive Customs authorities. Further investigation revealed that no payments were made by these Australian firms, which strengthened the case against the trafficking operation.
The front companies, set up under the names of Sadiq’s associates—many of whom worked as casual laborers, auto drivers, or film extras—were used to launder the proceeds from the drug trade. Bank accounts in the names of these individuals were used for day-to-day financial transactions and to launder the drug money.
The investigation revealed that six Indian front companies were established under the names of Sadiq’s proxies, including Ashok Kumar, Mujeepur Rahman, Mukesh PU, and Sathanantham, who were employed as daily wage laborers, auto drivers, and film extras. These firms’ bank accounts, which were used for routine expenses and laundering cash derived from drug transactions, were also registered under their names.
The drugs, sourced by Jaffer Sadiq and his brothers, Saleem and Mydeen Gani, were initially transported from Chennai or Tiruchy to Delhi by train, disguised as cargo labeled as ragi or other food items. From Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai, the drugs were then shipped internationally by air, the ED’s investigation concluded.
(Image Credit: TNIE)
Tamil Nadu: A Key Transit Hub for International Methamphetamine Smuggling
Tamil Nadu has emerged as a significant transit point for international drug syndicates trafficking methamphetamine and its precursor, pseudoephedrine, to countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia, where there is a high demand for these substances, according to Indian investigators.
Rise In Methamphetamine Seizures
Recent data from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Chennai highlights a sharp rise in the seizures of methamphetamine headed for Sri Lanka. The NCB’s seizures jumped from 12 kg in 2021 to 66 kg in 2022, and to 81 kg in 2023, signaling a notable increase in transnational meth trafficking. In 2024 alone, both the NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Chennai have confiscated 57 kg of the drug, with an estimated street value of ₹360 crore across just four major cases. All of these seizures involved methamphetamine sourced from Myanmar and smuggled en route to Sri Lanka. The latest seizure occurred last week when the DRI confiscated 10 kg of meth, leading to the arrest of six individuals and the dismantling of an international drug syndicate.
Methamphetamine trafficking is a highly lucrative illegal business, with prices varying significantly depending on the location. In Manipur, meth costs between ₹50,000 and ₹1,00,000 per kilogram, while in Chennai, the price reaches around ₹7 lakh per kilogram. However, the street value of the drug multiplies substantially in countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The NCB estimates that methamphetamine can fetch up to ₹10 crore per kilogram in these markets, while the DRI values it at approximately ₹5 crore per kilogram in international trade.
Investigations reveal that methamphetamine is primarily sourced from Myanmar, part of the notorious Golden Triangle region known for producing large quantities of illicit drugs. The narcotic is then smuggled across the border into Manipur and subsequently transported to Tamil Nadu via human carriers who travel by train.
(Image Credit: TNIE)
Transport And Smuggling Routes
After entering Tamil Nadu, the methamphetamine is moved to coastal towns like Rameswaram, Thoothukudi, and Nagapattinam via bus, train, or car, often in specially concealed compartments designed to evade detection. From these towns, the drugs are transported to Sri Lanka via mid-sea transfers, often coordinated with fishing boats crossing the porous maritime border.
According to law enforcement, trafficking syndicates heavily rely on Sri Lankan Tamils residing in Tamil Nadu, particularly in cities and refugee camps, to help coordinate and execute the smuggling operations. Locals from Manipur also play an important role in navigating the trade routes, and this particular smuggling network has reportedly expanded over the past five years.
Local Connections And Cross-Border Networks
A closer look at some of the recent arrests sheds light on how the trafficking networks operate. For instance, an individual arrested in Chennai’s Koyambedu area, a major wholesale market, was found to be a vegetable trader with established business links to Sri Lanka. In another recent DRI seizure, one of the arrested individuals was a Tamil man who had lived in Manipur before moving to Tamil Nadu, illustrating the cross-border nature of the syndicate’s operations.
Moreh, a town located near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur, has become a key focal point in the drug trade. The town is home to a sizable Tamil community, and investigators have linked some individuals from Moreh to drug syndicates operating in Red Hills, Chennai. In 2023, the NCB arrested three Tamils from Imphal in a 4 kg methamphetamine seizure in Tamil Nadu, which later led to a much larger 11 kg seizure in Manipur—the agency’s largest of the year.
The Role Of Sri Lankan Tamils And Manipur Locals
Drug syndicates involved in methamphetamine trafficking often rely on Sri Lankan Tamils for logistical support, especially when it comes to coordinating mid-sea transfers and managing hawala-based financial transactions. Their familiarity with maritime routes and the coastal regions of both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka makes them invaluable to these operations. Locals from Manipur also play a crucial role in helping syndicates navigate the complex and often treacherous trade routes that run along India’s northeastern border.
While Tamil Nadu serves as a key transit hub for methamphetamine, officials note that the consumption of meth within the state remains relatively low. Those seeking high-end drugs in Tamil Nadu are more likely to prefer substances like cocaine or LSD, rather than methamphetamine. Despite this, the state’s role as a major trafficking corridor for international drug syndicates highlights its increasing involvement in the global narcotics trade, which continues to expand despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
Earlier reports had also pointed to Tamil Nadu’s growing role as a critical location for the transshipment of illegal narcotics. Investigations over the past few years have increasingly focused on the state’s coastal routes and border areas, which serve as key points for the smuggling of methamphetamine from Southeast Asia to international markets.
In one high-profile case in 2022, the NCB seized a record 100 kg of methamphetamine in Chennai, originating from Myanmar and destined for Sri Lanka. That seizure, along with others, further cemented Tamil Nadu’s position as a major hub in the global methamphetamine trade. Authorities have since ramped up surveillance and intelligence sharing to combat this growing problem, but the complex nature of the trafficking networks continues to challenge law enforcement agencies.
Into Jaffer Sadiq's international drug syndicate: To run his cartel in Australia and NZ, Sadiq hired three drivers who fraudulently obtained Dubai work permits and resident visas and tried to send them to Auckland.
Six firms in Chennai, Trichy and Delhi sent 237 consignments to… pic.twitter.com/y19txpbZss
— Siddharth Prabhakar (@Sidprabhakar7) November 15, 2024
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