ED Targets Drug Trafficking Network, Searches 8 Mumbai Sites To Track Illicit Proceeds

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted search operations at eight locations across Mumbai, including Dongri, Mazgaon, Worli and other and adjoining areas linked premises, in connection with a money laundering probe against a suspected drug trafficking network allegedly operated by Faisal Javed Shaikh and his wife, Alfiya Faisal Shaikh.

According to officials, the searches are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, to trace the alleged proceeds of crime generated from the sale of narcotics.

Shaikh, a resident of Dongri, was previously arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2023 in a case linked to the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate. Investigators described him as a pivotal figure in Mumbai’s illicit drug trade, particularly in Dongri and adjoining areas, with international links to global trafficking networks and operational connections to D-Company.

Faisal Shaikh is accused of procuring MD (mephedrone, colloquially called ‘meow meow’) from Salim Dola, a notorious drug kingpin and one of India’s most wanted narcotics traffickers. Dola, reportedly operating from abroad, is believed to be the financial and operational backbone of several cross-city and international drug syndicates. Investigators say he has established a vast network for the supply of synthetic drugs, particularly mephedrone, across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. His operations reportedly involve drug manufacturing, large-scale distribution, and laundering of proceeds through complex financial channels. Dola is wanted by multiple Indian law enforcement agencies, and Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against him. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has announced a reward for credible information leading to his arrest.

Officials said Dola played a key role in supplying Faisal Shaikh’s network with narcotics, including Mephedrone, which Shaikh then distributed across Mumbai. Investigators added that Dola’s international contacts enabled the syndicate to source drugs and launder proceeds through offshore channels. The ED Wednesday searches form part of a comprehensive probe into the financial framework of Shaikh’s operations, aimed at tracing illicit fund flows and identifying the beneficiaries of the money laundering network.

To break the backbone of the Dola syndicate, the agency targeted the core of its international narcotics network. Taher Salim Dola, son of kingpin Salim Dola, was arrested in Abu Dhabi in January 2025 and deported to India through a coordinated operation by the CBI, Interpol, and UAE authorities. On June 13, 2025, he was handed over to the Mumbai police and is now in judicial custody, facing charges related to a synthetic drug manufacturing facility in Sangli, Maharashtra, where 126.14 kg of mephedrone, valued at around Rs 252 crore, was seized.

In a parallel operation, Mustafa Mohammad Kubbawala, Dola’s nephew and a key supplier of raw materials for mephedrone production, was arrested in Dubai in May 2025 and deported to India on July 11, 2025, following a coordinated effort by the CBI and NCB-Abu Dhabi. Both arrests mark a significant step in dismantling the syndicate’s global narcotics operations.

Investigations have also established Shaikh’s direct involvement in large-scale trafficking of narcotics, including mephedrone and cocaine. Key seizures linked to him include 68 grams of mephedrone in 2017, 20 kg in 2023, and 940 grams of cocaine in 2024. In 2025, authorities invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him. Pursuant to a detention order issued by the Joint Secretary (PIT-NDPS), Government of India, on March 26, 2025, Shaikh was transferred from Arthur Road Prison, Mumbai, to Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai, to prevent contact with city-based associates.

NCB investigations had also uncovered extensive assets linked to Shaikh’s network, including cash, gold, silver, and immovable properties valued at Rs 6.40 crore, all frozen under the NDPS Act in 2023–24.

Alfiya Faisal Shaikh, Faisal’s spouse, is reportedly involved in the financial operations of the network. While her specific role remains under investigation, her inclusion in the ED raids indicates active participation in laundering proceeds from drug sales.

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Officials said the ED’s ongoing search operations are focused on mapping the financial architecture of Shaikh’s network and identifying beneficiaries of its laundering activities. The ED operation was underway, and authorities have not disclosed details of any seizures or arrests so far.

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