Absconding drug lord Salim Dola deported from Turkiye, arrested by NCB

Wanted drug trafficker Mohammed Salim Dola has been brought back from Turkiye and arrested by the NCB in New Delhi under 'Operation Global-Hunt'. Dola, wanted under an INTERPOL Red Notice, is a key figure in a transnational drug syndicate.

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in close coordination with international and Indian intelligence agencies, has secured the return of wanted drug trafficker Mohammed Salim Dola from Turkiye, under 'Operation Global-Hunt'. He was taken into custody on his arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi, early this morning by NCB.

Dola's Criminal Background and Inter-Agency Action

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), "Salim Dola (59 yrs from Mumbai) a subject of INTERPOL Red Notice issued at India's request in March, 2024 was wanted for prosecution in multiple narcotics trafficking cases in India and had been absconding from Indian law enforcement agencies. Over the years Dola had established a major transnational drug trafficking syndicate spanning a number of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. His two-decade long criminal antecedents include direct involvement in cases involving multiple high-value seizures of Heroin, Charas, Mephedrone, Mandrax and Methamphetamine in Maharashtra and Gujarat."

"Dola's role consistently emerged as that of a bulk supplier to downstream distribution networks in India. Besides, he is also wanted by ATS Gujarat and the Mumbai Police. Earlier, his son Tahil Salim Dola and other associates were arrested by Mumbai police after deportation/extradition from the UAE in 2025. This effort exemplifies close cooperation and coordinated action between the authorities in Turkiye, INTERPOL and Indian agencies," said MHA.

Earlier today, Salim Dola was deported to Delhi Technical Airport from Istanbul. This followed an operation by the intelligence department in collaboration with international agencies. He is currently facing interrogation by intelligence agencies. Salim Dola will be handed over to the Mumbai Police, after which he will be interrogated by various agencies.

The Apprehension in Turkiye

CNN Turkiye reported that Dola, a notorious Indian drug lord wanted under an Interpol Red Notice, had been apprehended by Turkish authorities following a high-stakes raid in Istanbul.

Dola was arrested on April 25 after the Narcotics Crimes Division of the Istanbul Police Department launched a targeted operation to intercept the Indian national. Dola, who is wanted for 'drug trafficking', was located hiding in a residence in the Beylikduzu district.

During raids in India, authorities seized about 126 kilograms of mephedrone alongside Rs 25,22,000.

The Istanbul Police Department has since completed the necessary station procedures for the high-profile detainee.

The crackdown in Turkey aligns with ongoing investigations in India, where associates captured in Mumbai's Kurla region reportedly confessed to receiving instructions from Dola, according to CNN Turk.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)