Intelligence agencies have warned that the Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Syndicate is attempting to establish new narcotics trafficking routes in India’s southern and northeastern regions following intensified enforcement actions in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Recent operations by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), including the arrests of key operatives Danish Chikna and Mohammed Salim Sheikh, have disrupted the syndicate’s long-standing base in western India.
“With its traditional supply channels now under heavy scrutiny, the network is shifting its focus toward less-monitored corridors in the northeast and the south,” said an official of intelligence agencies.
According to intelligence inputs, the new operations are being directed by Haji Salim, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim and an alleged associate of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
“Salim is believed to have assumed a more prominent role within the organisation following the reduced involvement of Dawood’s long-time lieutenant, Chhota Shakeel. While Dawood’s brother, Anees Ibrahim, continues to oversee international operations, Salim has been tasked with reviving domestic trade networks,” said the official, adding, “We believe the D-Syndicate views the northeastern region as a key transit point because of its proximity to porous international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.”
Suhas Chakma, Director of the Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), recently cautioned that India, Bangladesh and Myanmar are fast emerging as the “New Golden Triangle” for narcotics trafficking. He noted a rising number of drug-related cases involving members of the Chakma community in Mizoram since 2024, with at least six cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the Lunglei District and Sessions Court.
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Chakma pointed out that Mizoram and Tripura are now “flooded with drugs”.
“Mizoram has become an entry point for narcotics smuggled from Myanmar, with the state’s Excise and Narcotics Department registering 87 cases and arresting 112 individuals in Champhai district alone between January and September 2025,” he said.
India’s intelligence agencies have expressed concern over Bangladesh’s growing proximity to Pakistan, particularly in the context of rising drug trafficking activities. According to intelligence inputs, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which came to power following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year, has established a direct maritime route between Karachi and Chittagong.
Officials believe this route has opened a new channel for the D-Company’s drug cartel to transport narcotics consignments to Bangladesh, from where they are allegedly being smuggled into India’s eastern states. “The new maritime link has created a potential gateway for cross-border narcotics flow, posing a fresh challenge for Indian enforcement agencies,” another intelligence officer said.
“In southern India, the syndicate is restructuring existing smuggling routes in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which were earlier used to move narcotics to international destinations such as Thailand via Sri Lanka. These channels are now being repurposed to serve domestic markets, with plans to conduct ‘reverse operations’, bringing drugs in through Sri Lanka and distributing them across the country,” said the official.
Officials added that increased surveillance along India’s northern borders with Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir has forced the D-Syndicate to rely more heavily on coastal routes. The southern coastline, in contrast, remains less monitored, offering greater logistical flexibility for large consignments.
Sources also warned that the syndicate is attempting to exploit illegal immigrant networks in southern states to expand its domestic distribution system. The objective, they said, is to compensate for financial setbacks caused by enforcement actions in the west and north while meeting growing internal demand.
Security agencies are now closely monitoring these emerging developments and are expected to intensify coordinated operations across India’s southern and northeastern regions to curb the expansion of Dawood Ibrahim’s narcotics network.
By Pronab Mandal
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