ED arrests former DMK leader Jaffer Sadiq in drug-related money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former DMK Leader Jaffer Sadiq in drug related money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former DMK leader Jaffer Sadiq in a drug-related money laundering case. ED interrogated him in Tihar jail where he was lodged in an NDPS case. He was arrested on June 26 after interrogation.

ED will seek his remand once he is produced in court. Earlier this month, the court had allowed ED to examine former DMK member Jaffer Sadiq in Tihar Jail. Delhi's Patiala House court had once again granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to examine Jaffer Sadiq in Tihar Jail and record his statement under PMLA. The agency wanted to interrogate him about drug-related money laundering case.

Special NDPS judge Sudhir Kumar Sirohi on June 20 granted permission to ED to examine Jaffer Sadiq on June 25 and 26 and to record his statement under section 50 of PMLA. The court had directed the jail authorities to make necessary arrangements. The special public prosecutor (SPP) for ED N K Matta submitted that the ED officers may be allowed to examine the accused. They may be permitted to take the laptop and printer with them 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.

It was also submitted the accused was examined on May 8 to 10 but the investigation could not be completed. Earlier on May 1, the court had also granted permission to ED to record statements of Jaffer Sadiq and four others in Tihar Jail. The Enforcement Directorate through Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta had moved an application praying for permission to examine and record statements 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 08.05.2024 to 10.05.2024.

Noting the submissions, Special Judge Sudhir Kumar Sirohi had allowed ED to examine the accused persons and also granted liberty to ED officials to carry their laptops, printers and other required items for recording the statements of above said accused persons. 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 came 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 marked as 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 3,500 kilograms of pseudoephedrine. (ANI)

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