Gujarat ATS Arrests International Drug Trafficking Suspect Salim Dola After Four Years on the Run

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has taken alleged international drug trafficker Salim Ismail Dola into custody, nearly four years after he was named a wanted accused in the ₹438.64-crore mephedrone factory case unearthed in Vadodara district in December 2022.

Dola was brought to Gujarat and taken into ATS custody on October 31, 2026, following international efforts involving Interpol and the issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN). Investigators suspect that he was operating an international narcotics trafficking network from overseas while evading arrest in the Sindhrot drug manufacturing case.

The ATS will now question him about his alleged role in the factory, the supply chain and the wider network involved in manufacturing and distributing narcotics in India and abroad.

₹438.64-Crore Mephedrone Factory Unearthed in Vadodara

The case dates back to December 1, 2022, when Gujarat ATS raided an illegal drug manufacturing unit in Sindhrot village of Vadodara district.

The operation led to the seizure of 87.728 kg of mephedrone, commonly known as MD drugs, valued at approximately ₹438.64 crore in the international market. Ten accused persons were arrested, and an FIR was registered at the ATS police station under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During the investigation, Police Inspector B H Korot found that one of the arrested accused, Soumil Pathak, had allegedly come into contact with Dola while in prison.

Investigators subsequently learnt that Pathak was allegedly involved with Dola in the manufacture and distribution of narcotic substances, including mephedrone.

The probe further revealed that the drug manufactured at the Sindhrot facility was allegedly supplied to Aiman Musa Sheikh alias Ayan Khan, an associate of Dola, in Mumbai. Dola was subsequently named as a wanted accused.

Interpol Red Corner Notice Led to His Apprehension

According to Gujarat ATS, intelligence inputs suggested that Dola was operating his alleged drug trafficking network from abroad. The agency initiated international efforts through Interpol, resulting in the issuance of a Red Corner Notice to facilitate his tracing and apprehension.

Investigators also found that Dola had allegedly been using an Indian passport while residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was reportedly using mobile phone numbers registered in the UAE and Kenya.

The ATS investigation has also highlighted his alleged association with late underworld figure Iqbal Mirchi. According to intelligence inputs, during the 1990s, when Mirchi was allegedly involved in the international trafficking of Mandrax, Dola worked for him by transporting narcotics.

Investigators suspect that Dola and his associates subsequently developed an international drug trafficking network operating in India and overseas.

The alleged network is suspected of concealing narcotic substances in containers carrying legally exported goods and transporting them to foreign destinations. Dummy companies were also reportedly established in countries where the consignments were intended to be delivered.

Fled to Dubai after 10 accused were arrested

According to Gujarat ATS officials, after learning that 10 people had been arrested in connection with the Sindhrot drug manufacturing case, Dola fled from Mumbai to Dubai to evade arrest. He subsequently moved between several countries, including Kenya and Turkey, in an attempt to remain beyond the reach of Indian investigating agencies.

Meanwhile, Gujarat ATS initiated proceedings through Interpol and secured a Red Corner Notice against him. Following the issuance of the notice, Indian agencies began coordinating with international law enforcement agencies to trace his whereabouts and secure his apprehension.

During the international search, Dola was traced to Turkey, from where he was deported to India following the necessary legal procedures. He was subsequently taken into Gujarat ATS custody on October 31, 2026, in connection with the Sindhrot drug factory case.

The ATS will now question him about his alleged role in the ₹438.64-crore mephedrone manufacturing operation, his associates, the movement of drug consignments and the financial network supporting the alleged international trafficking operation.

Drug Trafficking Cases Across Multiple Agencies Over Nearly Three Decades

Records cited by Gujarat ATS indicate that Dola's name has surfaced in several drug trafficking and other criminal investigations spanning nearly three decades.

• 1998: Arrested at Mumbai International Airport with approximately 40 kg of Mandrax.
• 2013: Arrested by the Mumbai Police Anti-Narcotics Cell with around 79 kg of charas.
• 2017: Named during a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) investigation into the alleged smuggling of gutkha worth approximately ₹5.5 crore from Gujarat to Kuwait.
• 2018: The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell initiated action against him in a fentanyl case involving an alleged drug haul worth approximately ₹1,000 crore. A case was registered on December 27.
• 2022: Ghatkopar police in Mumbai registered a case under the NDPS Act and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents.
• 2023: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, registered a case involving the seizure of approximately 20 kg of mephedrone. His name also surfaced in cases registered by Mumbai's DCB-CID and another Gujarat mephedrone seizure case.
• 2024: Kasigaon police in Thane registered a case under the NDPS Act, Arms Act and Bombay Police Act.
• 2025: Cases involving alleged narcotics trafficking were registered at Antop Hill police station in Mumbai, by DRI in Bhopal and by RCF police in Vasai. His name also figured in a Mumbai DCB-CID case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
• 2026: Tulinj police in Vasai registered another case under various provisions of the NDPS Act.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also initiated an investigation into financial transactions, properties and suspected money laundering linked to his alleged drug trafficking network during 2025-26.

Fled to Dubai after 10 accused were arrested

According to Gujarat ATS officials, after learning that 10 people had been arrested in connection with the Sindhrot drug manufacturing case, Dola fled from Mumbai to Dubai to evade arrest. He subsequently moved between several countries, including Kenya and Turkey, in an attempt to remain beyond the reach of Indian investigating agencies.

Meanwhile, Gujarat ATS initiated proceedings through Interpol and secured a Red Corner Notice against him. Following the issuance of the notice, Indian agencies began coordinating with international law enforcement agencies to trace his whereabouts and secure his apprehension.

During the international search, Dola was traced to Turkey, from where he was deported to India following the necessary legal procedures. He was subsequently taken into Gujarat ATS custody on October 31, 2026, in connection with the Sindhrot drug factory case.

The ATS will now question him about his alleged role in the ₹438.64-crore mephedrone manufacturing operation, his associates, the movement of drug consignments and the financial network supporting the alleged international trafficking operation.

Gujarat ATS to Probe International Network and Financial Trail

With Dola now in custody, Gujarat ATS plans to conduct detailed interrogation to establish his precise role in the Sindhrot drug manufacturing case.

Investigators will focus on identifying the alleged network involved in procuring raw materials, manufacturing mephedrone and distributing the narcotic substances. They will also examine financial transactions, the identities of other alleged associates, interstate and international links, and the possible involvement of additional persons.

The agency is also expected to investigate whether the Sindhrot factory was part of a larger organised drug manufacturing and distribution operation extending beyond Gujarat.