An official of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, led by Tamil actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay, has been arrested in Tamil Nadu, India, over an alleged operation to smuggle methamphetamine, commonly known as ‘Ice’, into Sri Lanka by sea.
Indian media reported that more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine had been seized during the operation conducted by India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
The main suspect has been identified as 42-year-old N. Boopalan, a member of the TVK Nagapattinam District Executive Committee.
Acting on intelligence regarding alleged drug trafficking from Nagapattinam to Sri Lanka, DRI officials raided the residence of one of the suspects before searching Boopalan’s house. Investigators reportedly identified Boopalan as the suspected mastermind behind the operation.
According to Indian media reports, Boopalan’s wife is a Sri Lankan national, and investigators suspect that this connection may have facilitated the alleged drug-smuggling operation involving Sri Lanka.
Preliminary investigations also revealed that the drugs had reportedly been transported from Chennai and stored for shipment to Sri Lanka by sea, as well as for distribution across various parts of Tamil Nadu.
While some Indian media reports indicated that four individuals had been taken into custody, other reports stated that Boopalan and an associate had been arrested, while two others were detained for questioning.
The suspects and seized narcotics were taken to the Nagapattinam Customs office for further investigations.
Meanwhile, TVK Nagapattinam District Secretary M. Sugumaran announced that Boopalan had been expelled from the party’s primary membership and removed from all positions with immediate effect.
The party said the decision followed allegations of involvement in drug trafficking and conduct contrary to its principles.
