Absconding international drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola, recently brought to India from Turkey, was living under a fake identity and has now been remanded to NCB custody till May 8 in connection with a 2023 Mumbai drug seizure case.
Salim Dola, a 59-year-old alleged international drug trafficker linked to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, was living in Turkey on a Bulgarian passport under the assumed name ‘Hamza’, officials said on Friday, as investigators probe the authenticity of his travel documents.
A Mumbai court on Thursday remanded Dola to the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) till May 8 in connection with a 2023 case involving the seizure of a commercial quantity of mephedrone in south Mumbai.
Dola was arrested in Turkey on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued at India’s request in March 2024. He had been absconding in multiple narcotics trafficking cases and was brought to Delhi on Tuesday before being transferred to Mumbai by an NCB team.
The probe agency told the court that Dola’s name surfaced during the investigation as an international drug trafficker associated with Dawood Ibrahim and identified him as the key supplier in the 2023 mephedrone seizure case.
According to the NCB, the case is linked to the seizure of 20 kg of mephedrone in south Mumbai. The agency said Dola was arrested based on the statement of a previously chargesheeted co-accused, Faisal Javed Shaikh, who is considered the kingpin in the case.
The NCB informed the court that Shaikh used to communicate with Dola via WhatsApp and collect drug consignments at pre-decided locations near Mumbai. It further claimed that Shaikh, in his voluntary statement, admitted to procuring around 40 kg of mephedrone per month from Dola at Rs 7 lakh per kg and selling it at Rs 8 lakh per kg, generating estimated monthly profits of Rs 40-50 lakh.
The agency said the operation was entirely cash-based and financial investigations revealed that Shaikh had amassed drug proceeds and related assets worth Rs 6.4 crore, which were subsequently frozen under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA).
Investigators also told the court that other co-accused corroborated Shaikh’s claims, confirming Dola’s role in the wider drug trafficking network. The agency added that Dola has multiple criminal antecedents, including drug-related cases in Gujarat and alleged involvement in smuggling banned gutka worth Rs 5.5 crore to Kuwait.
During the court proceedings, the NCB argued that preliminary findings point to the involvement of high-level associates and “unknown persons” in a complex international drug network. “Custodial interrogation is essential to identify the supply chain, financial trails, and international linkages,” the agency said.
Dola’s advocate Zehra Charania questioned the timeline of his transfer to Mumbai and whether he was interrogated following his arrest on April 28, adding that the agency had relied on co-accused statements without producing the case diary.
After hearing both sides, the court observed that the accused had been absconding and had not cooperated with the investigation. “Considering the nature and gravity of the offence and serious antecedents on the part of the accused, his custodial interrogation is necessary,” the court said while granting NCB custody till May 8.
Originally from Dongri in south Mumbai, Dola is believed to have operated and expanded mephedrone distribution networks across India while based abroad.
