Salim Dola, the alleged drug trafficker who was extradited to India from Turkey earlier this year, was taken into custody by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday in connection with a 2022 drug haul.The case pertains to the recovery of more than 80 kg of MD drugs (also known as ecstasy) worth around Rs 438 crore in Vadodara. Salim, who is a purported associate of fugitive gangster-terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, was brought to India in April this year.His name surfaced in the Vadodara drug bust investigation after questioning of the 10 accused initially arrested.
The case arose from a raid that led to the seizure of 87.728 kg of MD drugs worth Rs 438.64 crore.According to the ATS, Salim was wanted in the case for financing the narcotics manufacturing unit. He allegedly used to supply the chemicals required to produce the drugs.
Salim is also accused of facilitating the sale and purchase of the contraband.Up until his extradition to India, he was allegedly involved in running a transnational synthetic drug trafficking network, spanning several countries, using multiple clandestine laboratories and factories spread across India. Sources have previously told India Today Sources that Salim's drug cartel was operating a drug smuggling network to the tune of more than Rs 5,000 crore a year, with no estimates available about the transnational syndicate's revenues.Last year, his son, Taher Dola, was detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an operation involving local authorities and Interpol.The younger Dola was successfully extradited to India in June 2025.Months later, Salim Mohammed Sohail Shaikh, a key associate of Salim's, was deported from Dubai and arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell in connection with multiple cases.Salim and his aides have multiple cases of drug smuggling, manufacturing, and other offences registered against them in India.They also face money-laundering cases being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).Salim was brought to India as the result of a Red Corner Notice issued by Interpol on the basis of a request moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with various criminal cases filed against him.SALIM DOLA'S CRIMINAL HISTORYIn 1998, Salim was arrested at the Mumbai airport with around 40 kg of mandrax, a synthetic sedative-hypnotic drug.
More than a decade later, in 2013, the Mumbai Police's Anti-Narcotics Cell arrested him with around 79 kg of charas.In 2017, his name surfaced during a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) investigation into the alleged smuggling of gutkha worth Rs 5.5 crore from Gujarat to Kuwait.Since then, around 15 cases have been registered against Salim in different parts of the country.- Ends