Close aide of drug lord Salim Dola brought back to Mumbai; fourth accused deported from UAE in connection with cross-border narcotics network
The Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has successfully extradited Salman Saleem Shaikh, alias Shera Batla, a 35-year-old close aide of fugitive drug kingpin Salim Ismail Dola, from Dubai. Shaikh, believed to have deep connections with drug cartels operating in India and abroad, was arrested upon his arrival in Mumbai on Saturday, officials confirmed, reported indianexpress.com.
Shaikh is the fourth suspect deported from UAE in drug peddling cases
Shaikh’s extradition marks another major success for the Mumbai Crime Branch in its pursuit of an international drug network operating between Dubai and Mumbai. A Red Corner Notice (RCN) had been issued against him two years ago after his name surfaced in multiple drug-related investigations across Maharashtra and other Indian states.
Earlier this year, the Mumbai Police secured the deportation of Mohammad Saleem Mohammad Sohail Shaikh, alias Lavish, in October, followed by Taher Dola and Mustafa Kubbawala from Abu Dhabi in June and July respectively. All are believed to be key members of the Dola-led narcotics syndicate.
Drug trail that exposed the Dola network
According to the police, the Ghatkopar unit of ANC had arrested Mohammed Shahrukh Shaikh, 28, from Mumbai’s Nagpada area in August 2022, seizing 995 grams of mephedrone worth ₹2 crore.
Interrogations led to the arrest of three more suspects and revealed the involvement of Salman Shaikh, who had already fled to Dubai by then and was allegedly operating under Dola’s instructions
A Red Corner Notice issued by CBI–Interpol in 2022 helped track him down. After his extradition, Shaikh was produced before a Mumbai court on Sunday and remanded in police custody till November 7. Police sources confirmed that a chargesheet had already been filed against seven accused, with Shaikh listed as a wanted fugitive.
Long criminal history across states
Shaikh, a resident of Dongri, has been involved in drug peddling for over a decade. Five criminal cases were registered against him in 2023, including one for the seizure of narcotics worth ₹72 lakh by the ANC’s Unit 6. He is also an accused in two major NDPS cases in Telangana, where drugs worth ₹24 crore were seized in Barshi Takli and Bibi Nagar in 2024.
In one of the largest drug busts this year, the Sakinaka Police uncovered an MD manufacturing unit in Mysuru, seizing 180 kilograms of MD and other materials worth ₹400 crore. Investigators revealed that Shaikh was in contact with the main accused and was coordinating operations from Dubai, acting as a supervisor for multiple drug peddlers in India.
Dola’s Dubai-based drug empire
Police said that Salim Dola, believed to have links with the Dawood Ibrahim network, masterminded a vast cross-border drug syndicate from Dubai with the help of his son Taher, nephew Mustafa Kubbawala, and associates including Lavish and Salman Shaikh. While some members have been extradited, several others remain at large in the UAE, as investigations continue.
