NCB Arrests Former DMK Functionary Jaffer Sadiq In Rs 2,000 Crore Drug Trafficking Case

A producer of Tamil films, Jaffer Sadiq was recently ousted from the ruling DMK party after the agency implicated him in the drug network.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Jaffer Sadiq, a former DMK party functionary in Tamil Nadu, in connection with an international drugs trafficking investigation case on Saturday. The estimated worth of the racket was over Rs 2,000 crore, PTI reported, quoting NCB. 

Sadiq was apprehended on Saturday in Delhi, confirmed NCB Deputy Director General (Operations) Gyaneshwar Singh to PTI. The federal anti-narcotics agency identified Sadiq as the "mastermind and kingpin" of an illicit network spanning across India, Australia and New Zealand.

 

"In the preliminary investigation, he had revealed that he earned a lot through drug trafficking and invested in multiple industries such as film, construction, hospitality etc and was using it as a cover business...He has several associates which we will find out...We have found his Bollywood linkage too...He has one module in Australia also on which investigation is going on, soon we will bust that too," said Gyaneshwar Singh. 

A producer of Tamil films, Sadiq was recently ousted from the ruling DMK party after the agency implicated him in the drug network. He held the position of Chennai West deputy organiser within the DMK's NRI wing.

AIADMK Chief EPS Seeks Explanation From DMK President Stalin 

The Opposition party in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK demanded Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to provide a clarification on how the former DMK functionary was involved in drug smuggling and established close ties with a senior police officer and other influential people. In a fight against the drug menace, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami also took to X on Saturday and changed his name to "Edappadi K Palaniswami - Say No To Drugs & DMK"

On Friday, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a scathing critique of the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, accusing it of turning the state into a "den of drugs." 

"Jaffer Sadiq became close to the DMK leadership and even obtained a gift from a DGP. This is very unfortunate and anguishing and needs to be condemned," Palaniswami said, as per PTI.

Palaniswami argued that the Chief Minister has a "moral responsibility" to clarify the situation to the public, especially in light of Sadiq's expulsion from the DMK, which Palaniswami dismissed as a "mere formality". Sadiq previously held the position of deputy organiser for the DMK's NRI wing in the Chennai West unit.

The allegations came to light during Palaniswami's address to the media after his participation in the International Women's Day event organized by the AIADMK women's wing at the party's headquarters.

EPS was citing the operations conducted on February 15 by the Delhi Police and the Narcotics Bureau (NCB) at a warehouse in West Delhi. During the operation, suspects were reportedly caught attempting to conceal 50 kg of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the illegal production of the recreational drug methamphetamine, within counterfeit packages labeled as multigrain food mix.