TN politician and film producer Jaffer Sadiq arrested by NCB in drug trafficking case

In a significant development, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has apprehended Jaffer Sadiq, a former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary and Tamil movie producer. This arrest is linked to the massive Rs 2,000 crore drug trafficking racket that the agency successfully dismantled just last month, as confirmed by NCB Deputy Director General (Operations) Gyaneshwar Singh. 

Singh identified Sadiq as the alleged kingpin of the India-Australia-New Zealand drug trafficking network under investigation, emphasizing that further details would be disclosed later in the afternoon.

Confirmation of Jaffer Sadiq's arrest came from Gyaneshwar Singh, the NCB deputy director general (operations), who labeled him as the mastermind behind the India-Australia-New Zealand drug trafficking network under investigation. Singh stated, “He is the kingpin of the India-Australia-New Zealand drug trafficking network, which we were probing. We will share details in the afternoon,” elucidating the gravity of the situation on Saturday.

NCB officials revealed that Sadiq, a well-known movie producer with a portfolio that includes at least four films, is currently facing scrutiny regarding potential involvement of drug money in his production company. There are suspicions that his production firm might have been a front for money laundering activities. A source within the NCB, requesting anonymity, disclosed, “He was on the run for the past two weeks.”

The past fortnight has witnessed heightened protests by opposition parties in Tamil Nadu, demanding accountability for Jaffer’s alleged role in the drug trafficking racket. The case took an international turn when information from New Zealand customs authorities and Australian police, along with insights from the US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), implicated Delhi as the source of consignments containing pseudoephedrine concealed within desiccated coconut powder. Gyaneshwar Singh shared these details on February 24.

In a significant development, three individuals from Tamil Nadu were apprehended while in the act of packing around 50 kg of pseudoephedrine into a health supplement packet. The ongoing investigation has unveiled that over the past three years, the cartel orchestrated 45 consignments, totaling approximately 3500kg of pseudoephedrine, with an estimated value exceeding ₹2000 crore in the international market.