Gujarat ATS Gets Custody of Dawood Aide, Drug Trafficker Salim Dola

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has secured the formal custody of international drug trafficker Salim Ismail Dola, a wanted accused in a 2022 narcotics case involving the seizure of 87.728 kg of mephedrone (MD) from an illegal drug manufacturing facility in Sindhrot, Vadodara. Dola, who was brought to India from Turkey in April 2026, is expected to be interrogated further over his alleged involvement in the international drug trafficking network.

The Gujarat ATS had busted the illegal MD manufacturing unit in Sindhrot in 2022 and registered a case in connection with the seizure. Dola was subsequently identified as a wanted accused in the case, and an Interpol Red Notice had been issued against him.

Dola was detained in Turkey under the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Operation Global Hunt and brought to India on April 28, 2026. The Gujarat ATS has now formally obtained his custody in connection with the Sindhrot drug manufacturing case.

Dola is a notorious figure in the international narcotics trade and has been linked to underworld operative Chhota Shakeel, a key member of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang. He reportedly began his criminal career with conventional offences before entering the drug trade. Initially, he allegedly supplied cannabis in Mumbai with Shakeel’s assistance before expanding into large-scale narcotics trafficking.

His criminal history includes arrests in 1998 in connection with the seizure of 40 kg of mandrax at Mumbai airport and in 2012 for possessing 80 kg of cannabis. He was also arrested in December 2018 in a case involving 100 kg of precursor chemicals allegedly linked to fentanyl production. After securing bail, he reportedly fled abroad and continued operating drug trafficking networks.

In March 2024, Interpol issued a Red Notice against Dola over his alleged involvement in international narcotics trafficking, including the Sangli MD drug case. Subsequently, in June 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at locations in Surat, Ankleshwar and Rajkot as part of an investigation into his alleged money laundering network. The agency reportedly seized ₹1.33 crore in cash, foreign currency and gold, besides freezing bank accounts.

His interrogation by the Gujarat ATS is expected to shed further light on the operations, financial links and international connections of the alleged drug syndicate. DeshGujarat