Mumbai: Notorious drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola (59), was produced before the court by officers of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai on Thursday and was remanded to NCB custody till May 08. NCB in close coordination with international and Indian intelligence agencies, had secured the return of wanted drug trafficker Dola from Türkiye, under ‘Operation Global-Hunt’. He was taken into custody on his arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi on Tuesday.
While seeking Dola's custody, the NCB informed the court that on the basis of specific information, the team of NCB, Mumbai Zonal Unit had affected a seizure of 5 kgs of Mephedrone (MD) on June 09, 2023 at Dongri and registered a case. In further follow up action, the team of NCB Mumbai affected seizure of 15 kgs of MD at Dongri.
"During the course of the investigation, the name of Salim Dola emerged as an international drug trafficker associated with Dawood Ibrahim. He has been identified as the key supplier of the 20 kg of Mephedrone seized on June 09, 2023. Faisal Javed Shaikh, considered the main kingpin in this case, used to communicate with Salim Dola via WhatsApp and would collect deliveries at a predetermined location near J J Hospital," said an NCB official.
"Faisal Shaikh admitted in his voluntary statement that he regularly procured Mephedrone, about 40 kg monthly, from Salim Dola at Rs 7 lakh per kg and resold it at Rs 8 lakh per kg, earning an estimated Rs 40-50 lakh per month. The entire operation was cash based. A financial investigation revealed that Faisal Shaikh had accumulated a huge amount of drug proceeds and drug-linked assets worth Rs 6.40 crore which were subsequently frozen and confirmed by SAFEМА," the official said.
"Dola, a subject of INTERPOL Red Notice issued at India’s request in March, 2024 was wanted for prosecution in multiple narcotics trafficking cases in India and had been absconding from Indian law enforcement agencies. Over the years Dola had established a major transnational drug trafficking syndicate spanning a number of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. His two-decade long criminal antecedents include direct involvement in cases involving multiple high-value seizures of Heroin, Charas, Mephedrone, Mandrax and Methamphetamine in Maharashtra and Gujarat," said a central government agency source.
Dola’s role consistently emerged as that of a bulk supplier to downstream distribution networks in India. Besides, he is also wanted by ATS Gujarat and the Mumbai Police. Earlier, his son Tahil Salim Dola and other associates were arrested by Mumbai police after deportation, extradition from the UAE in 2025.
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Salim Dola, an absconding offender, has the following criminal antecedents, which are under investigation:
1. Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar Police Case (2024): have busted multi-state drug cartel run by Salim Dola, 16 members of his drug cartel were arrested.
2. NDPS Case (2023) (Gujarat Police): 90.729 kg Mephedrone scizure; Red Corner Notice (RCN) No. A-2799/3-2024 was issued in this case.
3. ANC Mumbai (2018): Involved in 100 kg Fentanyl seizure aimed at Mexico.
4. DRI Case: Caught smuggling Rs 5.5 crore worth of banned Gutkha from Gujarat to Kuwait.
5. ANC Mumbai (2013): Linked to 79 kg Charas seizure.
6. NCB Mumbai (1998): Arrested earlier for 40 kg Mandrax seizure.
