Gujarat ATS arrests Dawood Ibrahim aide Salim Dola in drug case
The accused was taken into custody on October 31 following his deportation from Turkiye in connection with a 2022 mephedrone seizure.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested international drug trafficker Salim Ismail Dola on October 31, according to Rediff. Dola, described as a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, is linked to a December 1, 2022, seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 438.64 crore from a factory in Sindhrot village, Vadodara district.
Assistant Commissioner of Police SL Chaudhary said Dola allegedly supplied chemicals for manufacturing the drug and also bought and sold the finished product. The investigation into the Vadodara raid, which saw the seizure of 87.728 kg of mephedrone, has already resulted in 10 arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Dola was deported from Turkiye earlier this year after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) brought him back following an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued in March 2024. Officials stated he operated a transnational network by concealing narcotics in containers of legally exported goods and using dummy companies abroad.
The ATS is currently questioning Dola to identify chemical sources, financial transactions, and distribution channels. Authorities are also investigating his alleged links to Iqbal Mirchi and his history of drug-related cases, including arrests in 1998 and 2013.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also initiated a probe into his alleged drug network, properties, and money laundering. Police intend to investigate who provided Dola with logistical support and shelter while he was abroad.