Danish Merchant, also known as Danish Chikna, a prominent associate of notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested on Friday in connection with a drugs case. Merchant, who allegedly oversees Ibrahim’s drug operations in the Dongri area of Mumbai, was apprehended along with his accomplice, Kader Ghulam Sheikh.
Sources within the Mumbai Police confirmed that Merchant had been a wanted figure in the case. His arrest is the culmination of a lengthy investigation that began with the detention of two individuals, Mohammed Ashikur Sahidur Rahman and Rehan Shakeel Ansari, last month.
The investigation began on November 8 when Rahman was arrested near Marine Lines Station with 144 grams of drugs. During questioning, Rahman revealed that he had obtained the narcotics from Ansari in Dongri. Acting on this lead, the police then arrested Ansari and seized an additional 55 grams of drugs from him. Ansari subsequently disclosed that Danish Merchant and another associate, Qadir Fanta, were responsible for supplying the narcotics.
The police had been actively searching for both Merchant and Fanta for several weeks. Following a tip-off, officers were able to locate the two suspects in the Dongri area on December 13. A well-coordinated operation led to their arrest. During interrogation, both Merchant and Sheikh confessed to their roles in the drug trafficking operation.
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Merchant’s arrest adds to his criminal history, as he had previously been involved in another significant drug bust in 2019. That year, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) dismantled Dawood Ibrahim’s drug factory in Dongri, seizing narcotics worth crores of rupees. Merchant had been arrested in Rajasthan during that operation and remained in jail until his recent release.
The investigation into Merchant and his associates continues, as authorities work to dismantle the drug network linked to Dawood Ibrahim’s syndicate.