The Mumbai crime branch has filed a plea in a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court to obtain the custody of Salim Ismail Dola, an alleged international drug trafficker currently held by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) until May 8. Dola, who was extradited from Turkiye after nearly a decade on the run, is linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang and is accused of supplying around 40 kg of MD (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) monthly to co-accused Faisal Shaikh, who distributes the drugs across Mumbai. The crime branch argues that Dola's custodial interrogation is vital for unraveling a broader inter-state drug syndicate and tracing financial flows and supply chains connected to various narcotics cases in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana. The NCB has previously seized 20 kg of MD in cases related to Dola's network, which operates through clandestine manufacturing units and distribution channels. Investigators emphasize that without Dola's custody, it would be challenging to reconcile evidence and confront co-accused individuals in parallel investigations, potentially allowing higher-level operatives to evade capture.