The Tamil Nadu Police was investigating the possibility of Chellappa Saguneswaran’s links with the LTTE, the sources said.

According to The Hindu website, Suguneswaran, a notorious drug peddler who was evading arrest for many years was arrested by sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau on August 23.

NCB sources said the police intercepted Shanmuganathan at the Chennai international airport on Friday night when he was about to board a plane to Sri Lanka. A search of his baggage brought out 750 gram of heroin concealed in an oven and electric cooker.

Enquiries revealed that Shanmuganathan had no knowledge of the drug being stuffed in the baggage, and that he had only agreed to hand over the materials given by his friend, Saguneswaran, to a family in Colombo.

Based on the inputs given by the passenger, a NCB team launched a manhunt for the suspect in Chennai and neighbouring districts.

Taking its cue from the mobile phone communication and tower location, the team raided hotels in suspected areas. At about 2 a.m., the police found Saguneswaran in a lodge at Periamet. He was in possession of another 750 gram of heroin. He confessed that on August 14, he smuggled to Sri Lanka 2 kg of heroin, with the help of an agent in Tuticorin.

“Saguneswaran is a big time drug peddler who was formerly a teacher in a school at Vavuniya. Though he was into drug business for years, he managed to keep his identity and movements secret. Investigations are on to find out the source and supply network of the contraband,” NCB South Zonal Director S. Davidson Devasirvatham told The Hindu.