Tamil film industry under scrutiny as Chennai Police arrest former assistant director with OG Ganja

Chennai, July 12 (IANS) The Tamil film industry has come under the scanner of law enforcement agencies following a major anti-narcotics operation by the Chennai Police.

The crackdown, launched by the Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU), has revealed disturbing links between drug traffickers and individuals associated with the film industry, leading to multiple arrests and the initiation of a broader investigation.

In a major breakthrough on Friday, police arrested three individuals — Premkumar (32), a former assistant director from Tondiarpet, Alex Santosh (34) of Seven Wells, and Rajan (36) of Wimco Nagar — from Perianna Street in the Seven Wells area.

The police seized 750 grams of high-grade OG ganja, Rs 15 lakh in cash, and a high-end motorcycle suspected to have been purchased with drug proceeds.

Investigations revealed that Premkumar had been procuring ganja from a supplier named Aslam, believed to be operating out of Malaysia.

According to police sources, Premkumar had travelled to Malaysia multiple times to meet Aslam and coordinated the smuggling of the contraband into Chennai.

The narcotics were stored in his rented residence, repackaged into smaller units, and distributed to local contacts through an organised network.

While Alex Santosh managed cash withdrawals through ATM networks to evade detection, Rajan handled local delivery and logistics.

What has alarmed investigators is the possibility that OG ganja was being supplied to individuals in the Tamil film industry. This has prompted the ANIU to expand its probe into Kollywood circles to identify potential recipients.

Meanwhile, a parallel investigation into cocaine use among actors has further rattled the industry.

Recently, popular Tamil actors Srikanth and Krishna were arrested in connection with a cocaine case.

Srikanth was taken into custody on June 23 after medical tests confirmed cocaine in his system.

Srikanth reportedly procured the drug from Pradeep Kumar, a former AIADMK functionary who has also been booked.

Krishna was arrested on June 26 following evidence gathered through WhatsApp conversations and statements from drug peddlers.

While no drugs were found in his possession, his name reportedly emerged during the interrogation of arrested dealers.

Both actors were granted conditional bail by the Madras High Court on July 8, with the condition that they report daily to the Nungambakkam police station.

The Chennai Police are also working with international agencies to track down Aslam and another associate, Augustine, who are believed to be hiding in Malaysia.

The ongoing investigation has shaken the Tamil film industry, with producers now under pressure to adopt stricter measures to ensure a drug-free environment on film sets.

--IANS

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