Gujarat ATS arrests international drug trafficker Salim Dola
The arrest is connected to a 2022 mephedrone seizure in Vadodara valued at ₹438.64 crore.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested international drug trafficker Salim Ismail Dola on October 31, according to reports by Hindustan Times, The Hindu and ThePrint. Dola, who was deported from Turkiye earlier this year, is linked to the 2022 seizure of mephedrone valued at ₹438.64 crore from a factory in Vadodara.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) SL Chaudhary said Dola allegedly supplied chemicals for manufacturing the drug and later bought and sold the finished product. The ATS had raided a manufacturing unit near Sindhrot village in Vadodara district on December 1, 2022, seizing 87.728 kg of mephedrone.
Officials stated that Dola's syndicate allegedly used containers of legally exported goods to conceal narcotics and established dummy companies in destination countries to facilitate operations. The investigation indicated that the mephedrone from the Vadodara factory was transported to Mumbai and delivered to Dola's associates.
Dola was brought back from Turkiye in April by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) following an Interpol Red Notice issued in March 2024. The ATS said Dola had previously moved from Mumbai to Dubai and then to Kenya before being traced to Turkiye.
The ACP said the ATS is now questioning Dola to establish chemical sources, financial transactions, distribution channels and the involvement of other network members. Police will also probe assets allegedly acquired through illegal activities and who provided him logistical support while he was abroad.