PANAJI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested Danish Merchant, alias Danish Chikna, a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, from Goa in connection with a narcotics case registered in Mumbai.
According to NCB officials, the arrest was made during a late-night operation carried out by the agency’s Mumbai unit. Merchant, who has been on the radar of the agency for years, is accused of running a drug manufacturing unit in Dongri, Mumbai, allegedly under Dawood’s narcotics network.
Investigators believe Danish Chikna played a key role in managing and distributing drugs across Mumbai and other parts of the country. He had previously been arrested by the NCB for operating a drug syndicate in Dongri, but reportedly continued his illegal trade through new channels after being released.
In 2019, the NCB had busted a drug manufacturing unit in Dongri, said to be part of Dawood’s operations, and seized narcotics worth crores from a vegetable shop used as a front. Danish was then arrested in Rajasthan but was later released.
