Mumbai: An alleged drug smuggler recently deported from Dubai, Salim Sohail Shaikh alias Lavish (59), has said he organised rave parties and arranged drugs in India and overseas for Bollywood personalities, the nephew of a global fugitive wanted in terror cases, and the son of a slain politician, Mumbai police said in its remand application Thursday seeking custody. The celebrities he named include the actor-daughter and son of a yesteryear actor known for his negative roles, a foreign actress-dancer linked to a money laundering case, a well known film making duo, a rapper and a socialite. Police said they would carry out a detailed probe and may summon those whose names surfaced during interrogation of the accused.The Anti-Narcotics Cell has obtained five-day custody of Shaikh, who was deported from Dubai on Oct 22 for links to a Rs 252-crore mephedrone seizure in Sangli. He was until now in the custody of the crime branch in another drug case.The police remand application said, “During Shaikh’s interrogation, he said he was organising drug parties in the country and abroad and supplying drugs to them.”The crime branch had busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Sangli in Feb this year. Police found a unit where 122.5 kg of mephedrone (MD) and lab equipment—ovens, mixers, filtration units, and weighing scales—were seized.The haul was valued Rs 245 crore, making it one of the largest synthetic drug seizures in Maharashtra in recent years.Shaikh was allegedly coordinating between drug peddlers and organising raw material supplies for drug manufacturing units in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana and Rajasthan.He has been staying in Dubai for the last three years with his family.Subsequent raids in Mira Road led to the recovery of 3kg of MD Rs 3.68 lakh in cash. Further investigations revealed that 30 kg of MD had already been distributed to operatives in Surat.Among those arrested were Parveen Bano Ghulam Sheikh who was allegedly found in possession of 641 grams of MD, Rs 12.2 lakh in cash, gold jewellery, and a mobile phone.During interrogation, she confessed to acting under instructions from Dubai-based accused Salim Dola and Salim Sheikh, along with their Indian associates Sajid Mohammad Asif Sheikh alias Dabs.Their interrogation led the police to Mustafa Kubbawala and Taher Dola who were later deported from the UAE. Shaikh’s arrest followed, and during interrogation, he detailed coordination between international suppliers and local distributors, the use of fake passports to facilitate travel of operatives, and hawala transactions used to transfer drug proceeds from India to Dubai.Police have arrested 15 people in this case so far.
