NIA Questions Associate Of Jailed Ex-LTTE Member In Drug Smuggling Case

Pitchai reportedly served as a vital link between Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Indian drug traffickers.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned Alla Pitchai, a key associate of Sabesan alias Satnukam, an LTTE top intelligence operative, over drug smuggling charges. Earlier, Sabesan was imprisoned following his arrest in October 2021 in connection with the recovery of Rs 3,000 crore in heroin, five AK 47 assault guns, and 1,000 pellets.

According to NIA sources, Pitchai was a close friend of Sabesan and was involved in smuggling ganja to Sri Lanka as well as transporting heroin from the island nation, as per a report on IANS.

Pitchai reportedly served as a vital link between Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Indian drug traffickers.

Recently, he was nabbed by Narcotics Control Bureau sleuths in Chennai, according to police, and he is being questioned because the NIA has also charged him in the Rs 3,000 crore narcotics haul.

According to agency sources, Pitchai is a significant operative who provides logistics support to drug gangs operating between Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India.

It should be noted that there were intelligence reports that the now-defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were attempting to support their activities and recoup their losses by importing drugs.

After the seizure of the drug cartel, Tamil Nadu police are also on high alert following the arrest and recovery of drugs from Kerala as well as the arrest of a Keralite in connection with a Rs 1,476 drug seizure at Mumbai port.

Meanwhile, in a previous meeting with officials, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged the police to crush the state's drug cartel. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the "Tamil Nadu Without Drugs" project in August, stating that eliminating drug misuse is his government's top concern.