Salim Dola, a close associate of terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and a key figure in his drug empire, has been deported to India following his arrest in Istanbul.

He was flown to Delhi Technical Airport after an operation coordinated between Indian intelligence and international agencies. Dola is currently under interrogation by intelligence officials and will subsequently be handed over to Mumbai Police for further questioning by multiple agencies.

CNN Turkiye reported that Dola, who was wanted under an Interpol Red Notice, was apprehended by Turkish authorities after a high-stakes raid in Istanbul. The arrest took place on 25 April when the Narcotics Crimes Division of the Istanbul Police Department launched a targeted operation in the Beylikduzu district.

After extensive technical and physical surveillance confirmed his location, security teams executed a raid at the identified residence and successfully detained him. He was then processed for deportation to India.

The crackdown in Turkey coincides with ongoing investigations in India. Associates captured in Mumbai’s Kurla region confessed to receiving instructions directly from Dola, according to CNN Turk. 

During those raids, authorities seized 126 kilograms and 141 grams of mephedrone along with 2,522,000 Indian rupees. The Istanbul Police Department has completed the necessary station procedures for the high-profile detainee.

The Interpol Red Notice against Dola specifies charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. This legislation mandates a minimum prison sentence of ten years for serious violations and imposes strict bail conditions, particularly when seizures involve commercial-grade quantities of narcotics.

Officials are expected to charge him under the NDPS Act and other relevant provisions for offences committed.

Agencies