CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a money laundering investigation into the cocaine peddling case registered by the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) in which multiple accused, including Tamil film actors K Srikanth and Krishna, were arrested, sources said on Saturday.
While Srikanth and Krishna secured bail from the Madras High Court, the ED has filed an application before a local Chennai court to question two of the accused who are still lodged in the Puzhal prison. The case came up for hearing on Friday, with the GCP as a respondent.
The GCP had filed a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on June 18 after a special team of its Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU) had arrested Ghana native John who had allegedly supplied cocaine to accused Pradeep Kumar. Based on this, cops arrested Prasanth, actor Srikanth, Jawahar, actor Krishna and Payaz Ahmed. While John has been released on bail, Pradeep, Jawahar and Prasanth are still in jail.
Totally 11.5g of cocaine, 10.3g of methamphetamine, 2.75g of MDMA, 2.4g of OG ganja and 30g of ganja was seized by the GCP with an investigation still under way. The case has been registered under sections 8 (c), 22 (b), 27 and 29 of the NDPS Act which are scheduled offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, leading to registration of an ECIR by ED’s Chennai zone on August 5.
In its petition filed before the NDPS court, the ED has stated that the Rs 40,000 seized from John on June 18 prima facie constitutes proceeds of crime as meant by Section 2 (1) (u) of the PMLA.
As part of their investigation, the ED seeks to trace the illicitly acquired proceeds of crime possessed and enjoyed by the accused and others, the agency told the court. For this, they sought permission from the court to inquire Prasanth, Jawahar and Pradeep Kumar in Puzhal prison.