A view of the thatched shed at Mimisal Village in Pudukottai from where the customs seized Hashish and Ganja worth crores (Image Credit: Indian Express)
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, officials of the Central Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Trichy Customs Preventive Commissionerate seized a staggering amount of hashish and ganja worth Rs. 111 crore in the international market. The operation, conducted in Mimisal, Pudukottai district, on the evening of March 10th, dealt a major blow to illicit drug smuggling activities in the region.
Acting on actionable intelligence, CIU officials thwarted a well-planned drug smuggling attempt, seizing 100 kilogrammes of hashish valued at Rs. 110 crore and 876 kilogrammes of ganja worth Rs. 1.05 crore. This operation follows a recent seizure of drugs worth Rs. 100 crore from the Rameswaram Coast in Tamil Nadu, highlighting the growing concern over the proliferation of drug trafficking activities in the state.
The seized drugs, concealed in 400 bags, were found hidden in a shrimp farm near Mimisal, intended for smuggling to Sri Lanka using a country boat through the Tondi Sea. Authorities suspect the involvement of individuals associated with drug smuggling networks, with close monitoring underway, particularly focusing on Sultan of SP Pattinam.
In a coordinated effort, investigators examined a fish trading company and shrimp farms along the Ramanathapuram district border. CIU officials, after breaking open a locked shed near a prawn farm in Mimisal, discovered 48 bags containing hashish and ganja. Due to a lack of power supply in the shed, the seized drugs were transported to a nearby customs office for further processing.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the ganja bundles originated from a shrimp farm owned by Sultan. Furthermore, it was uncovered that a trio had orchestrated a plan to smuggle the ganja to Sri Lanka using a country boat on the ensuing Sunday night.
Reacting to the alarming development, K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief, took to social media to criticise the DMK government. Expressing concerns over the surge in drug trafficking activities since the DMK came to power, Annamalai highlighted the recent revelation of DMK executive Jaffer Sadiq’s alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking ring.
He pointed out, “For all these years, the DMK government was having fun without taking any action to stop the drug traffic, which is why there is such a high level of drug traffic in Tamil Nadu. The maximum quantity of drugs seized in the tests after the arrest of DMK executive Jaffer Sadiq shows that the drug traffic in Tamil Nadu has been unstoppable. Realising that drugs are a weapon to destroy our youth and future generations, will the DMK government ever wake up from its slumber and take action against the drug traffickers or, like Jaffer Sadiq, ignore them as their own party?”.
AIADMK general secretary, Edapadi K Palaniswamy sought to know why CM MK Stalin and his son Udhaya Nidhi Stalin had not resigned on moral grounds. He said only central agencies are seizing the narcotics. On 10th (Sunday) a delegation led by Palaniswamy called on governor R N Ravi and handed over a memorandum to him, seeking a thorough investigation by authorities into alleged international drug racket kingpin Jaffer Sadiq’s links to the ruling DMK and the state police.
Recently, TN DGP Shankar Jiwal said police have been initiating stringent measures against drugs supply through seizures , detention of narcotic offenders under the Goondas Act, and freezing of movable and immovable assets of drug traffickers. He said 2,099 kigs of Ganja, 8,038 tablets, and 113 kg of other drugs were seized in January this year. A total of 23,364 kg of dry ganja and 39,910 tablets were seized last year. But in 2022, a record seizure of 28,383 kg of ganja, 63,848 tablets were seized, resulting in the arrest of 14934 people. ADGP (Enforcement Bureau CID) Mahesh Kumar Agarwal said last year a total of 10,256 cases were booked against 14,770 persons, resulting in 23,364 kg of dry ganja , 0.953 kg of heroin, 39,910 kg of tablets, and 1,239 kg of other drugs.”.
He said, “ TN is just a transit point. The bulk smuggling of ganja from neighbouring states for local consumption has gone down. An analysis of 21 major cases in 2023 has revealed that out of 7600 kg of ganja, ,6,900 were bound for Sri Lanka and 205 kg for Kerala. In 2023, around 18,880 kg of ganja and other drugs were destroyed, while in 2022, it was 11000 kilogrammes .
In a release, Governor Ravi said parents concerned about their wards in high schools and colleges have been sharing with him their serious worries over the prevalence of drugs on campuses and entertainment clubs in the state. He said, “Central intelligence, investigative, and enforcement agencies are seized with the operations of international drug cartels with critical nodes in Tamil Nadu doing illegal trafficking in drugs. These drugs are highly addictive and destructive. If not checked, it will soon destroy our future generations.”.
He said, “The management of academic institutions has a special responsibility to ensure such drugs do not enter their campuses or their vicinity. Since youths are the primary target of drug traffickers, parents must be extra vigilant to detect any sign of such abuse by their wards. I will appeal to youth : Please keep far away from such temptations, as they will irreparably destroy your life and families. .For the sake of our people and the future of the state, I solicit everyone’s full cooperation against the drug menace.”.
NCB arrested drug kingpin and former DMK NRI wing functionary Jaffar Sadiq in Rajasthan on Sunday. He is now remanded to police custody for questioning, and it has been learned that he spilled the beans about the connection with the ruling and film world. Also financed to produce films besides running export businesses, pharma, hotels, spas , real estate, and all.
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