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Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) In a major breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown against the drug network linked to Dawood Ibrahim, the Mumbai Crime Branch has taken into custody Dubai-based handler Mohammed Salim Shaikh, who was deported to India in the Salim Dola drug smuggling case, officials said on Thursday.
Sheikh, identified as one of the key coordinators operating from abroad along with Salim Dola, is accused of managing drug operations linked to a large-scale mephedrone manufacturing network in Maharashtra. Both Sheikh and Dola are said to be close associates of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Red Corner Notice was also issued against Mohammad Salim Suhail Shaikh earlier also. He was caught in UAE a few weeks ago and brought to India after completing legal formalities.
On 22 October, the Mumbai Crime Branch formally arrested him and produced him before the court, which remanded him to police custody till 30 October.
According to officials, Shaikh played a key role in overseeing the supply chain for a major MD production unit in Sangli, where raw materials imported through a UAE-based chemical supplier were processed into the synthetic drug.
The investigation began after the arrest of Parveen Shaikh from Kurla area of Mumbai in February 2024, who was found with 641 grams of Mephedrone worth Rs 12.20 lakh and Rs 12 lakh in cash.
During interrogation, Parveen revealed that she had procured drugs from the Dubai-based network of Salim Shaikh and his associate Salim Dola through Mira Road resident Sajid Mohammed Asif Shaikh alias Dabz.
Police later arrested Sajid and recovered 3 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 6 crore along with Rs 3.68 lakh in cash from his residence.
Further investigation led the Crime Branch to a large-scale Mephedrone manufacturing unit in Sangli. Acting on intelligence, the team raided the facility on March 25, 2024 and recovered 122.5 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 245 crore along with raw material, machinery, vehicles and arrested six people.
Police said the network, which included operators from Surat and Sangli, sourced chemicals from suppliers in Dubai to manufacture mephedrone in India.
Investigators suspect that the chemicals were supplied through a UAE-based chemical company.
So far, 15 accused, including a woman, have been arrested in the case and smuggled property worth Rs 256.49 crore has been seized. The seized items include 126 kg of Mephedrone worth over Rs 252 crore, Rs 4.19 crore in cash, gold worth Rs 1.5 lakh, vehicles worth Rs 11.4 lakh and illegal assets worth Rs 55.5 lakh.
–IANS
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