One of the main drug traffickers and confidants of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Salim Dola, was deported from Turkey to India on Monday morning and was arrested by Indian agencies soon after landing, according to sources privy to the development.
Dola, who is 59 years old, was arrested by Turkish authorities over the weekend on the basis of information supplied by Indian agencies. Dola was arrested by the Turkish Intelligence Agency in Beylikduzu, where he was residing under an assumed name, with the help of the local police force.
Also Read | Where does India stand in global military spending with a $92.1 billion outlay?
Dola was immediately brought to the airport's technical zone for questioning when he landed in India. Sources stated that Dola was deported to India after a Red Corner Notice was issued against him through Interpol at the request of the CBI.
Key figure in international drug network
Investigators describe Dola as a long-time operative in an international narcotics network linked to Dawood Ibrahim. Active since the 1980s, he is alleged to have overseen drug trafficking operations spanning India, the Middle East, and beyond.
According to officials, Dola had recently expanded into the production of mephedrone through clandestine laboratories operating across multiple Indian states. Both the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Mumbai Police have been pursuing him in connection with several cases.
“Dola could be handed over to either the NCB or Mumbai Police, as both have active cases against him,” an official aware of the matter told Hindustan Times, adding that his network had been under surveillance for months.
Links to major drug seizures
Mumbai Police have linked Dola to a 2024 case involving the seizure of around 126 kg of mephedrone in the city. Investigators traced the supply chain from Maharashtra to Turkey and Dubai, with several accused naming Dola as the key figure behind the operation.
His son, Tahir Salim Dola, was also named in the case and was extradited from the UAE by the CBI last year.
Amit Shah posted on X saying that the Narcotics Control Bureau has secured the return of alleged drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkey, calling it a major breakthrough.
Zero tolerance against Narco syndicate.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 28, 2026
The @narcoticsbureau today made a major breakthrough in securing the return of notorious drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkiye. Under Modi govt's mission to ruthlessly smash drug cartels, our anti-narcotics agencies have…
Also Read | Delhi braces for light rain after 42C heat; IMD forecasts dip in temperature from Tuesday
As evident from court documents, Dola has an extensive background in crime. His earliest arrest on charges of smuggling Mandrax pills took place way back in 1998 from Mumbai Airport. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence re-arrested him in 2017 following their confiscation of almost one lakh gutka pouches valued at more than â‚ą5 crores meant for export to Kuwait.
After being released on bail in 2018, he absconded from India and ran away.
