The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at many locations owned by suspects in Chennai as part of a recent crackdown on the Indo-Sri Lankan illegal narcotics and guns trafficking racket and arrested a man named Ayyappan Nandhu. He was found to be running the drug business for Muhammad Asmin, a Sri Lankan exile and drug dealer.
According to reports, the aforementioned racket purportedly worked to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The agency also confiscated a huge amount of cash, gold bars, digital gadgets, narcotics, and papers during its operations in addition to other evidence. Muhammed Asmin had conspired with other accused to resurrect the LTTE through the sale of narcotics and weapons.
The NIA has made 14 arrests so far since it started an inquiry into the scam in July 2022. 13 individuals were apprehended in December 2022 amid searches at 21 different places around Tamil Nadu. The accommodations allotted to nine accused at Tiruchirappalli’s special detention camp were among the targets of these searches.
All nine were apparently working with Haji Salim, a drug dealer with ties to Pakistan who is suspected of being involved in the March 2021 incident near Kerala’s Vizhinjam port, in which Indian defence forces had seized a boat carrying 300 kilogrammes of heroin, five AK-47 assault rifles, and 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Investigations into the matter have revealed that the proceeds of drugs and arms trade in Sri Lanka were received in India through hawala agents, including one Shahid Ali of Chennai. The transactions were discovered to have been carried out through hotels and companies situated in Mannadi, Chennai.
The recent seizure on April 6 comprised Rs. 68 lakhs in Indian cash, $1,000 in Singapore Dollars, and nine gold biscuits (totalling 300 grammes) from Shahid Ali’s shop. The Hotel Orange Palace in Chennai was where the NIA also found Rs 12 lakhs in Indian currency.