Drug-related money laundering case: ED gets court nod to record statements of ex-DMK member Jaffer Sadiq, others in Tihar

The Patiala House Court on Wednesday allowed Enforcement Directorate to record statement of former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq and four others in Tihar Jail in connection with a drug-related money laundering case.

The Patiala House Court on Wednesday allowed Enforcement Directorate to record statement of former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq and four others in Tihar Jail in connection with a drug-related money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate through Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta moved an application praying for permission to examine and record statement of accused persons namely Jaffer Sadiq, Mukesh PU, Mujeepur Rahaman R, Ashok Kumar and SG Sadanandan (Sathanantham) u/s 50 PML Act, 2002 for 03 days i.e. from May 8 to May 10, 2024.

ED plea further submitted that ED officials may be permitted to carry their laptops and printer so that the recorded statements may be signed and data may be confronted to the accused persons as there is recovery of 50kg of Pseudoephedrine. Noted the submissions, Special Judge Sudhir Kumar Sirohi allowed ED to examine the accused persons and also granted liberty to ED officials to carry their laptops, printer and other required items for recording the statements of above said accused persons.

Jail superintendent is directed to make necessary arrangements in this regard in compliance of jail rules, stated in court order. Recently, ED had conducted raids at various sites in Tamil Nadu as part of an investigation into drug-related money laundering involving former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq and others.

The move comes a month after the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against Sadiq, who was earlier arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for his alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking case. ED registered its case against Sadiq, a day after the NCB arrested him. As per official sources, the financial fraud probe agency registered the case against the former DMK functionary after the NCB found Sadiq's links with some "high profile" people.

In its inquiry, the NCB found that Sadiq spearheaded the network that sourced pseudoephedrine in India and trafficked it to Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia under the guidance of food-grade cargo. Officials in NCB believe that the drug syndicate operated by Sadiq had sent 45 consignments over the three years to various countries, containing about 3,500 kilograms of pseudoephedrine. (ANI)

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