Mumbai :- Intelligence inputs indicate that the city’s underworld has entered the production and trafficking of the synthetic drug mephedrone (MD), with notorious gangsters Salim Dola and Umed-ur-Rehman emerging as major figures in the illicit trade.
According to Mumbai Crime Branch sources, the shift marks a strategic move away from extortion and gang wars, as the underworld allegedly channels funds from Pakistan and Dubai—linked to fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates—to strengthen the MD network in Mumbai and beyond.
The nexus surfaced during a probe into the kidnapping of drug mafia Sajid Electricwala, reportedly over a failed MD consignment deal. Investigators found that accused Sarvar Khan was in contact with Pakistan-based Anwar Sheikh, brother of underworld don Chhota Shakeel. Khan allegedly confessed that Anwar paid Sajid ₹50 lakh for MD production, intending to route it through Dola and Rehman.
The Narcotics Control Bureau has announced a ₹1 lakh reward for information leading to Salim Dola’s arrest, while Umed-ur-Rehman remains absconding. Former Maharashtra DGP Pravin Dixit warned of a sharp rise in domestic synthetic drug production, urging coordinated crackdowns.
Authorities believe profits from the MD trade are being reinvested into organised crime, and further raids and arrests are expected as the narcotics-underworld link comes under intense scrutiny.
