The Enforcement Directorate Wednesday conducted searches across Mumbai as part of its money laundering investigation linked to an alleged drug trafficking network. According to ED officials, the raids are being conducted to trace the sale proceeds acquired by a "well-established" drug trafficking network involving Faisal Javed Shaikh and Alfiya Faisal Shaikh. Eight premises in Mumbai are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. As per ED, Faisal Shaikh was purchasing MD drugs through Salim Dola, a drug kingpin. Salim Dola is wanted by law enforcement agencies for his involvement in narcotics trafficking and funding illegal drug networks. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has announced a reward for information leading to his arrest. NCB arrested Faisal in 2023 in a narcotics case linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang. In May of this year, he was transferred from the Mumbai-based Arthur Road Prison to Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai. Officials said this was done to ensure that he did not have access to others in the network, considering they were based in the same city.
