Salim Dola remanded to NCB custody till May 8 in 2023 drug case; timeline of related events

A Mumbai court remanded Salim Ismail Dola to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) custody till May 8, 2026 in connection with the 2023 drug trafficking case. The NCB had sought 10 days of custody, citing that Dola had been on the run and that fresh leads required verification. The agency described him as a key international supplier of mephedrone and linked him to a wider drug syndicate; assets worth Rs 6.40 crore were frozen. Investigators also noted references to a 2018 fentanyl seizure, a 1998 seizure, and a 2024 multi-state cartel case. The remand transcript reportedly did not mention Dawood Ibrahim, and there was mention of procedural confusion about magistrate versus transit remand following Dola's airport arrest.

Investigators flagged a 2024 case linked to a multi-state drug cartel. They also cited a Gujarat case involving the seizure of over 90 kg of mephedrone.

Transit remand had already been granted in Delhi following Dola's arrest at the airport.

Dola was arrested after nearly two years on the run, prompting fresh questioning by investigators.

Investigators say 20 kilograms of mephedrone were seized in June 2023 and were supplied by Salim Dola, linking him to a wider narcotics network.

A drug trafficking case connected to this investigation was registered in 2023.

Investigators cited a 2018 fentanyl seizure by Mumbai's Anti-Narcotics Cell as part of the broader investigation.

Investigators cited older narcotics seizures dating back to 1998 as part of the broader context of the case involving Salim Ismail Dola.