Salim Dola (59), a drug kingpin and close associate of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, was deported to India from Turkey early Tuesday morning and handed over to Indian agencies, according to reports quoting officials. Dola had been detained on Saturday by the Turkish Intelligence Agency along with the Beylikduzu police following inputs shared by Indian agencies. Upon his arrival at the airport’s technical area in Delhi, Dola was taken into custody and interrogated by Indian agencies. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) facilitated his extradition from Turkey.
How Salim Dola Was Extradited From Turkey?
Interpol had earlier issued a Red Corner Notice against Dola at the request of the CBI, as multiple Indian agencies, including the Mumbai Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), were seeking him in connection with various cases.
#WATCH | Delhi: Close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, Salim Dola, brought to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Headquarters. He was recently apprehended in Istanbul and has now been deported to India. https://t.co/I1y4sZcMQk pic.twitter.com/o5nis69US4
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2026
Acting on the Interpol Red Notice, Turkish authorities conducted extensive technical and physical surveillance to pinpoint his location. He was eventually found hiding in a residence in Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district, where he had been living under a false identity.
Dawood Ibrahim’s close associate Salim Dola brought to India from Turkey in joint intelligence operation with international agencies pic.twitter.com/7h7WMw7YRl
— War & Gore (@Goreunit) April 28, 2026
Following his arrest, he was processed for deportation and flown to India.
Reports quoting Delhi NCB officials said that Dola would be interrogated before being handed over to authorities in Maharashtra and Gujarat, where several cases have been registered against him.
Salim Dola’s Mephedrone Cartel
The 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 arrested individuals naming Dola as the key figure behind the manufacturing and distribution network.
In related operations in Mumbai’s Kurla area, authorities seized 126 kilogrammes and 141 grammes of mephedrone along with ₹25.22 lakh in cash. According to CNN Turkiye, those arrested had allegedly confessed to receiving direct instructions from Dola.
His son, Tahir Salim Dola, also named in the case, was extradited from the UAE by the CBI last year.
Court records show that Dola was first arrested on July 28, 1998, at Mumbai’s Sahara airport while attempting to smuggle Mandrax tablets. He was caught with 40 kilogrammes of the drug at the time.
In 2017, he was arrested by the DRI again after they intercepted almost 1,00,000 packets of gutka worth more than ₹5 crore. The haul, which was to be smuggled to Kuwait by sea, was intercepted at Pipavav port, Gujarat, and in a godown in the capital.
Who is Salim Dola? Dawood Ibrahim’s Close Aid, Drug Kingpin
Salim Dola hails from Dongri, Mumbai.
Reportedly involved in drugs since the 1980s, he is thought to be a key person running the Dawood Ibrahim drug network. In recent years, he has reportedly moved into the manufacturing of mephedrone in illegal labs in several states.
Dola has been involved in numerous drug raids and has been arrested previously by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Police, and the NCB. He later left India in 2018.
Salim Dola is reportedly a rising gangster in Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company, and has taken over the drug trade in the place of another gangster, Salim Mirchi.
What Are The Charges Against Dawood Ibrahim’s Aide Salim Dola?
Dawood Ibrahim’s aide, Salim Dola has been charged with several offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. This Act mandates a minimum of 10 years’ prison for serious charges, and harsh bail provisions, particularly for dealing with commercial quantities of drugs.
Along with NDPS charges, he may have been charged under other relevant laws governing drug dealing and organised crime.
Reports claim Dola was running a multi-state drug network even after leaving India nearly a decade ago. He allegedly ran his network from the United Arab Emirates and Turkey to Maharashtra and Gujarat, via intermediaries.
In 2024, Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch investigated the seizure of 4kg of mephedrone, finding connections to Dola’s alleged Sangli and Surat-based operations.
Is Dawood Ibrahim’s Confidant Salim Dola Involved In Fentanyl Trafficking?
Police officials say his network is one that funds mephedrone manufacturing, provides precursor chemicals, and operates illegal labs. He is also believed to have links to a ₹1,000 crore seizure of fentanyl, and prior gutka smuggling cases caught by the DRI.
Dola’s global network had been weakened even before his arrest. Last year, his son Taher and nephew Mustafa Mohammad Kubbawala were extradited from the UAE via Interpol, which, officials said, had a significant impact on his network. Earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau had offered a ₹1 lakh reward for Dola’s arrest.
FAQs:
Q1: Where is Salim Dola from in India?
Ans: Dongri, Mumbai.
Q3: Wher was Salim Dola hiding?
Ans: Turkey.
Q3: Who is the owner of D-Company?
Ans: Dawood Ibrahim
Q4: Who is Haseena Parker?
Ans: Younger sister of Dawood Ibrahim.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
