CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate has arraigned 12 persons and eight companies as accused in the chargesheet filed before a CBI court in Chennai in its money laundering investigation against expelled DMK leader and alleged drug kingpin Jaffer Sadiq.
This includes Jaffer Sadiq’s brother Mohammed Saleem and Mydeen Gani, wife Ameena Banu and popular Tamil film director Ameer Sulthan, who has been identified as his business associate. The firms named as accused in the case are linked to Jaffer Sadiq and were allegedly used by him to launder proceeds earned through the illegal export of pseudoephedrine and other drugs to Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, sources said.
The agency on Wednesday said that a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) it had filed on September 10 had been taken cognisance of by the court on October 18.
ED had initiated its investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on three predicate offences – seizure of 50kg of pseudoephedrine by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Delhi in February 2024, 39 kg of Ketamine by Customs Mumbai in October 2018, and 50 kg of pseudoephedrine by Chennai Customs in August 2015, under the NDPS Act. These controlled substances were being allegedly exported to foreign countries disguised as health-mix powder, desiccated coconut and other food products and bangles.
Jaffer Sadiq and his associates allegedly laundered the proceeds from their drug operations by investing in legitimate ventures like real estate, film production, hospitality, and logistics. The proceeds were channelled into these investments through a network of bank accounts, including those controlled by Sadiq and his family members.
The laundered funds were used to acquire assets in the names of Sadiq, his wife Ameena Banu, Mydeen Gani and other benamis. ED had attached properties worth Rs 55.3 crore. Ameer has been accused of enjoying the fruits of the illicit drug trade of Jaffer Sadiq, which was allegedly invested in movies produced by the former. Ameer was also a business partner of Sadiq in a firm, ED sources said.