A resident of Dongri in Mumbai, Dola had allegedly been operating a multi-state narcotics network from overseas after fleeing India nearly a decade ago. His activities came under scrutiny during a targeted investigation into financial proceeds generated from illegal drug sales, reportedly handled by Faisal Javed Shaikh and Alfiya Faisal Shaikh. Investigators believe the duo procured mephedrone drugs from Dola as part of a larger distribution network.
The Mumbai Crime Branch traced the supply chain of the synthetic drug from Sangli and Surat to international locations, including the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, where Dola is believed to have directed operations through intermediaries. In a significant breakthrough last year, authorities, acting under the Interpol framework, deported Dola’s son Taher and his nephew Mustafa Mohammad Kubbawala from the United Arab Emirates, dealing a substantial blow to the network’s structure.
Born in 1966 into a middle-class family in the Byculla area of Mumbai, Dola entered the city’s underworld at a young age. He developed close ties with Chhota Shakeel, who was then a member of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal syndicate. Dola initially engaged in the smuggling of chewing tobacco across Mumbai and Delhi before expanding into the illegal drug trade, beginning with marijuana trafficking.
In 2012, the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested Dola with a consignment of 80 kilograms of marijuana. He spent nearly five years in prison before being acquitted by a court. Following his release, he established contact with fugitive drug supplier Kailash Rajput, marking his entry into the synthetic drug market. With Rajput’s assistance, Dola began manufacturing a substance known as “Button,” a synthetic drug formulated using hazardous opioids such as fentanyl and distributed in tablet form.
In 2018, the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai Police arrested him in Santacruz and seized 100 kilograms of fentanyl. However, he was granted bail within four months after forensic reports indicated that the seized samples tested negative. Soon after securing bail, Dola fled India and relocated to the United Arab Emirates, where he allegedly established a real estate business under his son Taher’s name. Authorities believe that proceeds from his narcotics operations were invested in this venture.
The extradition of Salim Dola marks a critical development in India’s ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks linked to organized crime syndicates. His return is expected to provide key insights into international narcotics operations and strengthen enforcement actions against cross-border criminal enterprises.
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