Chennai, Dec 4 (NationPress) Ali Khan Tughlaq, the son of Tamil actor Mansoor Ali Khan, was apprehended on Wednesday in relation to a drug trafficking investigation.

His detention came after a thorough inquiry conducted by the Thirumangalam Police, who interrogated him the previous day.

The law enforcement initiated the investigation after obtaining intelligence that connected Tughlaq to individuals implicated in the drug trade, many of whom had been recently detained.

Earlier, authorities had arrested 10 suspects, including college students, as part of the drug trafficking network.

Individuals such as Seyad Saki, Mohammed Riyas Ali, and Faisal Ahmed were among those apprehended. Tughlaq was arrested alongside three others, and all four are currently in police custody for further investigation.

Tamil Nadu has been facing numerous cases involving international drug syndicates, with illicit narcotics like methamphetamine (meth) and its precursor, pseudoephedrine, being smuggled to countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia, where demand is notably high.

Local police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have heightened their monitoring efforts following intelligence reports indicating that Tamil Nadu is being used as a transit hub for drug smuggling.

In the year 2024 alone, the NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) confiscated meth valued at approximately Rs 380 crore.

Sources indicated that the drugs, procured from Myanmar, were on their way to Sri Lanka.

The Chennai Police recently apprehended a Nigerian named Philip, suspected to be the mastermind behind a cartel smuggling methamphetamine to Tamil Nadu and distributing it in smaller quantities.

The Arumbakkam Police have, up to this point, arrested 12 individuals related to this case, including Philip.

Others detained include Jeevan (39), Masthan (45), Jagadeesan (25), Satishkumar (33), Viswanathan (47), Deepakraj (24), Siddharth (25), Arul Kumar (28), Antony Raj (29), and Santhosh (27). Philip reportedly acknowledged placing orders for meth and importing it from Nigeria via courier and air routes. The smuggling of methamphetamine is extremely lucrative, with the drug costing between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per kilogram in Manipur and selling for Rs 7 lakh in Chennai.

Methamphetamine is allegedly trafficked across the India-Myanmar border into Manipur and then transported to Tamil Nadu through human carriers on trains. Moreh, a town in Manipur adjacent to the India-Myanmar border, has been identified as a crucial transit location. Connections between Moreh and Chennai's Red Hills area have also been established.

Data from the NCB's Chennai zone indicates a marked increase in meth seizures destined for Sri Lanka: 12 kg in 2021, 66 kg in 2022, 81 kg in 2023, with figures for 2024 yet to be revealed.