NCB arrests film producer and ex-DMK worker in global drugs trafficking case

“We will intensely investigate the drug money trail in this case,” the DDG said when asked if any political persons were under the scanner of the agency.

The NCB said in February this year it seized around 50 kg of narcotics-making chemical Pseudoephedrine during a raid at a godown of Sadiq’s company Aventa in Delhi’s Basai Darapur area and arrested three of his accomplices.

Sadiq,36, whose full name is Jaffar Sadiq Abdul Rehman, went into “hiding” soon after the raids. He travelled from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Jaipur before being taken into custody following his brief questioning by the NCB.

The NCB said the three arrested persons and Sadiq informed them that a total of 45 pseudoephedrine consignments were sent by them over the last three years, containing about 3,500 kgs of pseudoephedrine valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in the international market.

The searches by the NCB along with the special cell of the Delhi Police came on a tip-off they received towards the end of 2023 from the Australian and New Zealand authorities about “large quantities” of Pseudoephedrine concealed in desiccated coconut powder and mix food powder being smuggled into their countries from India.

An additional input from the US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) indicated that the source of these consignments was in the national capital, the NCB said in a statement.

Sadiq, according to Singh, invested his alleged drugs trade earned money into his “front or cover businesses” of movie production, real estate and hospitality among others.

A Tamil film, Mangai, was “entirely funded” by the accused from drugs money. He also constructed a hotel in Chennai, the DDG said.

According to NCB officials, Sadiq allegedly used to get Rs 1 lakh per kg “cut” (commission) from the smuggling of narcotics.