Big blow to Dawood network: Salim Dola deported to India after arrest in Istanbul drug raid

New Delhi/Istanbul: Salim Dola, an alleged close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and a wanted drug trafficking accused, has been deported to India after being arrested in Istanbul, officials said on Monday.

Dola was flown to Delhi’s Technical Airport from Turkiye following a coordinated operation involving Indian intelligence agencies and international counterparts. He is currently being questioned by central agencies and is expected to be handed over to the Mumbai Police for further interrogation.

Investigators believe Dola played a major role in the alleged narcotics network linked to Dawood Ibrahim.

Earlier, CNN Turkiye reported that Dola, described as a notorious Indian drug lord wanted under an Interpol Red Notice, was apprehended by Turkish authorities after a high-profile operation in Istanbul.

According to the report, Dola was arrested on April 25 after the Narcotics Crimes Division of the Istanbul Police Department launched a targeted mission to capture the Indian national.

He was allegedly traced to a residence in the Beylikduzu district, where he had been hiding.

Following surveillance operations, Turkish authorities raided the location and detained him before initiating deportation proceedings to India.

The crackdown in Turkiye is linked to an ongoing investigation in India. According to CNN Turk, some accused arrested earlier in Mumbai’s Kurla area allegedly told investigators they were acting on instructions from Dola.

During those raids in India, authorities reportedly seized 126 kilograms and 141 grams of mephedrone along with Rs 25,22,000 in cash.

The Interpol Red Notice against Dola states that he faces multiple charges under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The law provides for strict punishment, including a minimum 10-year prison sentence in serious narcotics cases, and stringent bail conditions when commercial quantities of drugs are involved.

Officials are expected to formally process Dola in India and pursue charges under the NDPS Act and other relevant laws related to organised crime and drug trafficking.