Source IANS: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) intensified crackdown on the Dawood Ibrahim-linked drug network has disrupted the syndicate’s operations in western India, prompting its operatives to explore new territories in the country’s northeast and southern regions, according to intelligence sources.
Recent arrests, including those of Danish Chikna and Mohammed Salim Sheikh, have severely impacted the Dawood network’s influence in Maharashtra, traditionally considered its main operational hub. With the enforcement agencies tightening surveillance across Maharashtra and Gujarat, intelligence officials report that the syndicate is now shifting focus to regions perceived as less scrutinized.
Officials emphasized that dismantling the network’s base in Maharashtra remains a top priority, as it serves as the control centre for Dawood’s nationwide operations. “The individuals managing the western circuits oversee operations across India. Breaking their chain first will weaken the entire structure,” an intelligence official said.
The D-Syndicate’s activities in the northeast and southern states are currently being coordinated by Haji Salim, identified as an ISI associate and a senior member of Dawood’s network. Following the apparent silence of Dawood’s key aide, Chhota Shakeel, Salim has assumed greater responsibility in managing the syndicate’s India-centric operations.
While Dawood’s brother, Anees Ibrahim, reportedly oversees the syndicate’s international business, primarily across African nations, Salim has been directed to expand operations within India, particularly in areas with emerging trafficking routes.
According to intelligence assessments, the syndicate views the northeastern states as strategically important due to existing drug routes from Myanmar. Additionally, with Bangladesh increasingly accessible to the ISI, the region has become a potential corridor for narcotics smuggling.
In southern India, the D-Syndicate already maintains an operational network focused mainly on transnational drug movements. The narcotics are smuggled into Kerala and Tamil Nadu before being routed toward Southeast Asia through Sri Lanka. Officials revealed that the network now intends to use these same routes in reverse, importing drugs through Sri Lanka into India for domestic distribution.
An Intelligence Bureau (IB) source noted that the syndicate aims to capitalize on the relatively low scrutiny along India’s southern maritime borders compared to the heavily monitored Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir frontiers. This strategy could allow larger shipments of narcotics to move via land routes within India.
Officials also warned that the syndicate is exploiting illegal immigrant populations in South India as potential couriers to distribute narcotics locally.
Despite its established international markets, the Dawood network remains intent on maintaining a strong foothold in India, where drug demand continues to rise. The syndicate reportedly seeks to recover losses sustained in Maharashtra and Punjab, where recent security measures and drone surveillance have curtailed smuggling attempts.
Authorities indicate that similar enforcement actions will soon be extended to the northeastern and southern states as part of a broader effort to disrupt the D-Syndicate’s evolving drug trade network.
