Intelligence inputs suggest that the Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Syndicate is exploring new drug trafficking routes in India’s southern and northeastern regions following recent enforcement crackdowns in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Officials said recent operations by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), including the arrests of key operatives Danish Chikna and Mohammed Salim Sheikh, have disrupted the network’s long-standing base in western India.
With its traditional channels under sustained pressure, the syndicate is now seeking to expand its narcotics operations through less-monitored corridors in the northeast and the south.
According to sources, operations in these emerging sectors are being overseen by Haji Salim, a close aide of Dawood and known associate of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Salim is believed to have taken a more prominent role within the network following the absence of Dawood’s long-time lieutenant, Chhota Shakeel.
While Dawood’s brother, Anees Ibrahim, reportedly manages international operations, Salim has been tasked with reviving the group’s domestic trade.
Intelligence officials said the network views the northeastern corridor as a key transit route due to its proximity to Myanmar and its porous borders with Bangladesh.
These routes, long exploited by regional smugglers, offer new opportunities for narcotics movement into India.
In the south, existing smuggling channels in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are now being restructured to serve domestic markets.
Previously, these routes were used primarily to move drugs to foreign destinations, including Thailand, via Sri Lanka.
The syndicate is also believed to be planning reverse operations — bringing drugs in through Sri Lanka and distributing them across India.
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Officials said the syndicate is adapting its strategy as heightened surveillance along the Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir borders has made the northern routes increasingly risky.
The southern coastline, in contrast, offers relatively lower scrutiny and greater logistical flexibility for large consignments.
Sources further warned that the syndicate is attempting to exploit illegal immigrant networks in southern states to distribute narcotics within India.
The aim, they said, is to offset financial losses incurred due to disruptions in western and northern India and to tap into growing domestic demand.
Security agencies are closely monitoring these developments and are expected to intensify operations in the targeted regions to curb the expansion of the D-Syndicate’s narcotics network.
