ED conducts searches in Chennai, Madurai in drugs-linked money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at five locations in Madurai and Chennai as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged syndicate that smuggled drugs from India to Sri Lanka via sea route, officials said.

The money laundering case stems from two cases filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2024 against one John Britto and others under the NDPS Act and the Customs Act.

In the first instance, the DRI (Madurai) had seized 99 kg of hashish (worth about Rs 108 crore) from a fishing boat in March 2024 in the Gulf of Mannar, in which three persons, Ramish, Jansan and Prathap, were smuggling the contraband to Sri Lanka on the instructions of Britto, the ED alleged.

In the second case, 37.64 kg of methamphetamine (worth about Rs 150 crore) was recovered in March 2024 by the DRI at Madurai railway station from the possession of a person named P Prakash.

This drug consignment was suspected to be smuggled to Sri Lanka, the agency said, adding that Britto was the "mastermind" of this syndicate and is a "habitual offender".

He and his associates allegedly involved fishermen and boat owners in transporting the drugs from Indian waters to Sri Lanka.