Salim Dola, Dawood Ibrahim aide and drug kingpin deported from Turkey to India
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Salim Dola, an alleged key producer of mephedrone (MD) and an associate of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, was brought to India on Tuesday morning after being detained in Turkey.
Officials said he arrived at Delhi airport and was taken into custody by the Narcotics Control Bureau.
An NCB officer stated that Dola, 59, would initially be interrogated in Delhi before being handed over to authorities in states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, where multiple cases have been registered against him, Indian Express reported.
Authorities in Turkey confirmed that Dola had been detained in Istanbul on Sunday during a joint operation involving the country’s National Intelligence Organization and local police.
Investigators said Dola, originally from Dongri, had been operating from abroad for nearly a decade after fleeing India, allegedly managing a multi-state narcotics network.
His involvement came under renewed scrutiny in 2024 following a probe by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch into a 4 kg MD seizure, which reportedly traced supply links from Sangli and Surat to the UAE and Turkey, where he was believed to be directing operations through associates.
Officials noted that his network had been weakened last year after his son Taher and nephew Mustafa Mohammad Kubbawala were deported from the United Arab Emirates with assistance from Interpol.
Law enforcement agencies described Dola as a long-time figure in international drug trafficking circles, recalling that he was first arrested in 1998 with 40 kg of mandrax at Mumbai airport. Investigators believe he later handled narcotics operations for the D-Company following Salim Mirchi.
Officials added that Dola has been linked to several major cases, including a ₹1,000 crore fentanyl seizure and a DRI gutka smuggling case.
Agencies allege that his syndicate financed MD production, supplied precursor chemicals, and operated clandestine laboratories across Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The NCB had earlier announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to his arrest, officials said.