Chennai, Apr 21 (UNI) The Madras High Court on Monday granted bail

to alleged drug syndicate kingpin Jaffer Sadiq and his brother Mohamed

Saleem in connection with a money laundering case registered by the

Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Justice Sundar Mohan passed the order citing the Supreme Court’s 2024

judgment granting bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia

as a legal precedent.

Jaffer Sadiq, a former Deputy Organiser of the DMK’s NRI wing (Chennai

West), was arrested on March 9, 2024, by the Narcotics Control Bureau

(NCB), Delhi unit charging him with playing a central role in the trafficking

of pseudoephedrine, a narcotic substance, to international drug markets

including Australia and New Zealand.

Following his arrest, the ED launched a parallel investigation and registered

an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Jaffer Sadiq under

the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency alleged that proceeds from the drug trafficking operations were

being laundered through various channels.

Mohamed Saleem, Jaffer’s brother, was also booked in the same case for

allegedly aiding the laundering of funds linked to the illicit drug trade.

Jaffer Sadiq, who was sacked from the DMK for his links with the drug cartel,

is said to be the mastermind of this India-Australia-New Zealand drugs racket.

Sadiq, who has produced five films too, ran the a cartel that sent pseudoephedrine

from India to Australia and New Zealand.

The drug cartel was busted after New Zealand and Australia authorities informed

Indian agencies about huge smuggling of drugs in their countries under the guise

of food products.

The NCB probe also covered whether the funds from the drug cartel was used to

finance the films produced by Jaffer.

In February last year, information was received from New Zealand customs authorities

and Australian police that large quantities of pseudoephedrine, concealed in desiccated

coconut powder, were being sent to both the countries.

Further, inputs from the US Drug Enforcement Administration indicated that the it was

sourced from Delhi.

A joint operation by the NCB and the Delhi Police's Special Cell led to the seizure of

50 kg of pseudoephedrine in Delhi.

After sustained interrogation, officials revealed that 45 consignments had been sent

over past three years, which contained approximately 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine

valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in the international market.

UNI GV 1810