Dawood Aide Salim Dola Extradited To India After Istanbul Detention In Rs 5,000-Cr Drug Case

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said the Government of India is continuing its Zero tolerance against Narco syndicates policy, under which agencies are carrying out sustained global operations against organised drug trafficking networks.

In a post on X, Shah said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has achieved a major breakthrough by securing the return of wanted drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkiye under Operation Global-Hunt , calling it part of India’s continued push to dismantle transnational narcotics cartels. He added that Indian anti-narcotics agencies are extending their global reach so that “no matter where they hide, drug kingpins cannot escape justice.”

Dola, aged 59 and originally from Mumbai, is described by Indian agencies as a key operator in a transnational drug trafficking syndicate linked to large-scale narcotics supply chains spanning the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He is accused of coordinating the movement of drugs such as heroin, charas, mephedrone, mandrax, and methamphetamine into India, with distribution networks concentrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

He was the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice issued in March 2024 at India’s request , after which coordinated international intelligence efforts tracked his movements abroad. He was later detained in Istanbul following joint intelligence sharing with Turkish authorities before being deported to India.

Dola arrived in New Delhi early this morning on a special aircraft and was taken into custody by the NCB at IGI Airport under high-security arrangements . Officials said he is currently being subjected to intensive interrogation by multiple agencies at an undisclosed location.

Authorities said the operation was executed under Operation Global-Hunt , involving close coordination between Indian agencies, INTERPOL, and Turkish law enforcement, marking a significant success in cross-border fugitive tracking.

Investigators further said Dola played a key role as a bulk supplier in illegal drug supply chains , and multiple cases under the NDPS Act are registered against him. He is also wanted by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and Mumbai Police. His son, Tahil Salim Dola, and associates were earlier arrested following extradition from the UAE in 2025.

Officials also noted that parts of his network have been previously disrupted through coordinated enforcement actions across multiple countries, which helped trace wider syndicate linkages.

At the same time, visuals of his custody transfer showed Dola being calmly escorted by NCB officials without dramatic resistance , walking through security in a tightly controlled manner. The straightforward and controlled movement stood in contrast to the often cinematic public perception of high-profile arrests, reflecting standard procedural handling of extradition cases.