‘Drug lord’ Salim Dola’s chemicals supplier held

This is the fourteenth arrest in connection with the Sangli factory bust last year. The factory was found to be making mephedrone, commonly known as ‘MD’, leading to the seizure of MD worth ₹256 crore

MUMBAI: A key supplier of chemicals to the cartel of drug lord Salim Dola has been arrested in Surat. Brijesh Morabia, 32, was arrested by the Mumbai crime branch for supplying raw materials used to make narcotic drugs, via Dola’s nephew Mustafa Kubbawala.

‘Drug lord’ Salim Dola’s chemicals supplier held

This is the fourteenth arrest in connection with the Sangli factory bust last year. The factory was found to be making mephedrone, commonly known as ‘MD’, leading to the seizure of MD worth ₹256 crore. Police officers said Morabia was supplying chemicals such as Bromo 2, required to make the contraband, for the last five years.

Morabia’s involvement was discovered after the crime branch deported Dola’s son Taher last month and nephew Mustafa Kubbawala this month from the Middle East. During interrogation, Kubbawala revealed that he had been picking up chemicals from Morabia on the instructions of his uncle, Salim Dola. Kubbawala said he would hand the chemicals to the main accused, Pravin aka Nagesh Ramchandra Shinde, who oversaw production at the Sangli factory, said police officer.

Kubbawala would also collect money from drug suppliers who were part of their syndicate in Mumbai, and send it to Dubai through hawala channels.

Salim Dola, an alleged member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, is believed to be overseas. His multi-state drug cartel uses factories in various parts of the country, three of which have been busted in recent times. The Mira Bhayandar and Vasai Virar police stormed a drug factory in Telangana’s Vikarabad district, and another in Varanasi, where they seized mephedrone and raw material worth ₹327 crore, police said.

Morabia, who has studied till Std XII, got mixed up in the illegal drugs trade five years ago, when he started working as a chemicals supplier, said the officer. Before that, he had been working with a chemical company in Ankleshwar, and was familiar with the chemicals business.

Police are now investigating whether or not Morabia was working alone. A crime branch officer said Bromo 2 was a key ingredient in the manufacture of MD and is easily available in Ankleshwar and Surat in Gujarat. Moreover, it does not need a licence, said the officer.

In March last year, police stormed Dola’s factory in Kavthe Mahankal in Sangli, and seized 126.14kg of mephedrone. Kubbawala was charge sheeted in the case and the trial court had issued an arrest warrant against him.

Kubbawala and Taher Dola were apprehended by the NCB-Abu Dhabi and deported in May this year after a Red Corner Notice was issued against both of them. Taher was brought back to India on June 13 and Kubbawala on July 11. Both of them are in judicial custody.