The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out raids at over two dozen locations.
In Tamil Nadu in connection with a drugs trafficking linked money laundering probe against Jaffer Sadiq, a former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary and Tamil movie producer.
Sadiq was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) last month in the smuggling of around 3500 kg of pseudoephedrine valued at over ₹2000cr in the international market.
Officials familiar with the development said ED has launched a money laundering probe in the matter and was carrying out searches at around 25 locations in several cities in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli.
The premises of Sadiq Jaffer is being searched as well under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The NCB has said that Sadiq’s links with Tamil and Hindi film financers, some “high-profile” people and some instances of “political funding” were under its scanner.
Sadiq was expelled by the ruling DMK in February after his name and purported links to the drugs network were mentioned by the NCB.