Dawood aide, drug syndicate ‘kingpin’ Danish Merchant arrested in Goa

In a statement, the NCB said on the basis of actionable intelligence, one N Gaikwad was arrested from Pune and 502 grams of Mephedrone was recovered from his possession on the intervening night of October 18 and 19. During sustained interrogation, he disclosed a storage location in Mumbai and follow-up action at the premises led to the recovery of 839 grams of Mephedrone from another associate Zohaib Shaikh, who had been operating on Merchant’s directions. The premises were found to be associated with Merchant’s wife Henna.

“During investigation, it was established that Merchant and Shah were orchestrating the supply chain from behind the scenes. However, both went underground immediately after the twin seizures. Intensive intelligence-based tracking revealed that the duo was constantly changing hideouts in multiple states, mobile numbers and vehicles to evade detection. After sustained surveillance, the couple was finally traced to a luxury resort in Goa. A well-coordinated operation was launched and both were apprehended on October 25,” NCB in a statement said.

Merchant, a resident of Dongri and son of gangster Yusuf Chikna, used to manage the narcotics operations of gangster Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai’s Dongri. NCB said Merchant is a notorious repeat offender and was earlier arrested by its Mumbai unit in 2021 in a case involving seizure of codeine-based cough syrup (CBCS) and ganja. He was also booked by the Rajasthan police in 2021 in a narcotics case and by the Mumbai police in 2024 for his involvement in illegal manufacture of synthetic drugs.

Merchant’s criminal record includes seven other criminal cases registered by the Mumbai Police, following which he was declared ‘tadipaar’ (externed) from the Mumbai municipal area in 2024. His wife, Henna Shah, has a history of involvement in drug-related activities and was actively assisting him in distribution and concealment operations. NCB said the operation underscores the bureau’s sustained efforts in dismantling organized drug syndicates and targeting habitual offenders who continue to fuel the narcotics ecosystem.

Sources said Merchant was also briefly questioned by Goa Police regarding alleged involvement in smuggling narcotics in the coastal case, after he was intercepted on October 25.

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