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 New Indian Express, and The Hindu. Dola, who was deported from Turkiye earlier this year, is linked to the 2022 seizure of mephedrone worth ₹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 investigation into the Sindhrot case, where 87.728 kg of mephedrone was seized on December 1, 2022, identified Dola as a person involved in the network.
Officials stated that Dola's syndicate allegedly used dummy companies in destination countries and concealed narcotics in containers of legally exported goods to ship them abroad. The ATS said the mephedrone from the Vadodara unit was transported to Mumbai and delivered to Dola's associates.
Dola, described as a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was brought back from Turkiye in April by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) following an Interpol Red Notice. He had previously travelled from Mumbai to Dubai and Kenya before being traced to Turkiye.
The ATS is currently questioning Dola to establish chemical sources, financial transactions, and distribution channels. Police will also investigate his assets and whether he operated other networks in India while staying overseas.