Indian authorities have arrested four people, including a functionary of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and seized 135 kilograms of methamphetamine worth approximately INR 135 crore (INR 1.35 billion) in Tamil Nadu. The drugs were allegedly being stockpiled for smuggling to Sri Lanka, according to Indian media reports.
The operation was conducted by officers of India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which operates under the Union Ministry of Finance, following intelligence that methamphetamine was being transported from Nagapattinam to Sri Lanka.
According to reports, a team of around 16 DRI officers raided the residence of Sugan, 27, in Prathaparampuram, near Velankanni in Nagapattinam district, at around 6 a.m. on October 16. Officers reportedly questioned Sugan, his brothers and associates for more than four hours.
Information obtained during the inquiry allegedly led investigators to Bhoopalan, 42, a lawyer and executive committee member of TVK in Nagapattinam district. A separate team of eight officers subsequently searched his residence in the Keezhapidagai Chinthamani Main Road area near Velankanni, where the suspected narcotics were reportedly discovered.
Preliminary investigations also allegedly linked Bhoopalan’s younger brother, Parthiban, 29, and Sathish, 30, from Yathavar Street in Prathaparampuram, to the suspected smuggling operation.
Indian media reports further stated that investigators suspect Bhoopalan may have used his connections in Sri Lanka to facilitate the alleged trafficking network, noting that his wife is Sri Lankan. These allegations have not been independently verified.
The four suspects — Bhoopalan, Sugan, Parthiban and Sathish — were arrested, and 135 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized. They were subsequently taken to the Nagapattinam Customs Office for further questioning.
Canadian-Based Sri Lankan Tamil Also Under Investigation
In a related development, Indian media reported that a Sri Lankan Tamil man living in Canada had stayed at a lodge in Vedaranyam the previous week.
According to the reports, the man allegedly paid INR 50,000 to a fisherman in Kodiyakarai for a boat and purchased a high-speed engine worth approximately INR 100,000 from Karaikal.
Local fishermen reportedly alerted the police about the transactions, prompting intelligence officers to intercept and question the individual. Information obtained from him is said to have contributed to the ongoing investigation, although authorities have not publicly confirmed the full extent of his alleged involvement.
TVK Removes Arrested Functionary
Following Bhoopalan’s arrest, TVK’s Nagapattinam district secretary, Sugumaran, announced that he had been removed from the party.
Investigations into the alleged international drug-smuggling network are continuing. The allegations against the arrested individuals remain subject to the ongoing legal process.
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