NEW DELHI: Detectives probing the network of Muhammad Salim Dula, the alleged international drug trafficker who was recently repatriated from Turkey, have discovered his links with some chemists and drug dealers who were “aiding” the illegal transnational racket.
The 59-year-old accused, who is allegedly a key aide of global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, is in the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai till May 8.
He was arrested in Türkiye following a request made by the NCB in 2024 to Interpol, which issued a notice, and was brought to Delhi last week.
Officials familiar with the investigation told PTI that operatives in international drug networks identified Dola as the “Mephedrone King” because of his alleged extensive experience in smuggling this class of drug.
Dula was working with the help of some alchemists to manage his guild. The officials said, on condition of anonymity, that these links are being investigated and some of these players will be summoned in the near future for questioning.
They claimed that Doula had assumed aliases in Türkiye such as “Hamza” and “Abdul,” and that he was planning to buy some immovable assets in that country in order to obtain citizenship.
The Federal Drug Enforcement Agency is expected to submit a legal request to the Turkish authorities to obtain details of his stay there.
The Home Ministry said on April 28, the day Dhola was brought to India, that he was wanted for trial in several drug trafficking cases in the country and was on the run from Indian law enforcement agencies.
“Over the years, Dula created a major transnational drug trafficking ring covering a number of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.”
“His criminal antecedents spanning over two decades include direct involvement in cases involving multiple high-value seizures of heroin, charas, mephedrone, mandrax and methamphetamine in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” the health ministry said in a statement.
Mephedrone, also known as 4-methylmethcathinone, 4-MMC and 4-methylphedrone, is a synthetic stimulant drug and is also identified by colloquial names such as drone, M-CAT, white magic, “meow-meow” and bubble.
The accused can speak Hindi and Marathi and is also known as Salim Ismail Daula.
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