Gujarat ATS arrests international drug trafficker Salim Dola
The arrest is connected to a 2022 seizure of mephedrone worth ₹438.64 crore from a Vadodara factory.
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 seizure of mephedrone valued at ₹438.64 crore from a Vadodara factory in 2022.
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 revealed that the syndicate allegedly used containers of legally exported goods to conceal narcotics and established dummy companies in destination countries to facilitate operations.
The ATS had raided a manufacturing unit near Sindhrot village in Vadodara district on December 1, 2022, seizing 87.728 kg of mephedrone. A total of 10 people have been arrested in the case, which is registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Dola was brought back from Turkiye in April by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) following an Interpol Red Notice issued in March 2024. Officials described him as a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim who operated a transnational narcotics network.
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 Gujarat or elsewhere in India while staying overseas.