Ahmedabad: Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has taken alleged international drug trafficker Salim Ismail Dola into custody after securing his extradition through Interpol, nearly four years after his name surfaced in the seizure of 87.7kg of mephedrone worth Rs 438.6 crore from a factory in Vadodara district, officers said on Tuesday.He was deported from Turkiye earlier this year, in connection with the seizure of mephedrone valued at Rs 438.64 crore from a Vadodara factory in 2022.In April this year, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) brought Dola back from Turkiye, where he was arrested on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued at India’s request in March 2024.Described as a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, Dola is facing drug trafficking charges in India and is accused of operating a transnational narcotics network.
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Dola was taken into Gujarat ATS custody on Oct 31. He was wanted in the Dec 1, 2022, case in which ATS had seized 87.7kg of mephedrone from an illegal manufacturing unit in Sindhrot village and arrested 10 people.The investigation allegedly revealed that Dola was in contact with the arrested accused Soumil Pathak, whom he had met in jail. Investigators also found that the mephedrone manufactured at the factory was supplied to Aiman Musa Sheikh alias Ayan Khan, an alleged associate of Dola in Mumbai.ATS initiated Interpol proceedings and secured a Red Corner Notice against Dola. Intelligence inputs indicated that he was operating a drug trafficking network from abroad and was living in Dubai on an Indian passport. He was also allegedly using mobile numbers registered in the UAE and Kenya.According to ATS, Dola had earlier worked for underworld figure Iqbal Mirchi, transporting mandrax in the 1990s. He and his associates later developed an international network that concealed narcotics in containers carrying legally exported goods. Dummy companies were reportedly set up in destination countries to facilitate deliveries.ATS will question Dola about the source of raw materials, manufacturing arrangements, financial transactions, distribution channels and his associates in the Sindhrot case. Investigators will also probe the network’s interstate and international links.Dola’s criminal history1998: Arrested at Mumbai airport with around 40kg of mandrax.2013: Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell arrests him with around 79kg of charas2017: Named in a DRI case involving alleged smuggling of gutka worth Rs 5.5 crore from Gujarat to Kuwait2018: His name surfaces in a fentanyl case in Mumbai involving a consignment worth around Rs 1,000 crore2022: Booked in an NDPS and forgery case at Ghatkopar police station.2023: Named in cases by NCB Mumbai and Mumbai police involving mephedrone and other narcotics2024: Booked in an NDPS and Arms Act case at Kasigaon police station, Thane2025: Named in cases registered at Antop Hill, Vasai, Bhopal and Mumbai, including an alleged organised crime case under MCOCA2025-26: Enforcement Directorate initiates a probe into financial transactions, properties and suspected money laundering linked to his alleged drug network
