Gujarat ATS arrests international drug trafficker Salim Dola in mephedrone case
The arrest is linked to a 2022 seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 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 Hindustan Times. Dola, who was deported from Turkiye earlier this year, is wanted in connection with the 2022 seizure of mephedrone valued at Rs 438.64 crore from a factory in Vadodara district.
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 on December 1, 2022, seizing 87.728 kg of mephedrone. A total of 10 people have been arrested in that case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The ATS stated that Dola operated a transnational narcotics network. The syndicate allegedly used dummy companies in destination countries and concealed narcotics in containers carrying legally exported goods to ship them abroad.
Dola was brought back from Turkiye in April this year by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) following an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued in March 2024. The ATS said Dola had previously moved from Mumbai to Dubai and Kenya before being traced to Turkiye.
The investigation revealed Dola was associated with international drug trafficker Iqbal Mirchi during the 1990s. He has been linked to several other cases, including a 2013 arrest with 79 kg of charas and a 2018 fentanyl case.
The ATS is now questioning Dola to establish the source of chemicals, financial transactions, and distribution channels. Police will also investigate his assets and those who provided him logistical support while he was abroad.