Big Blow to Dawood Ibrahim: ‘Drug Kingpin’ Salim Dola Nabbed in Istanbul, Flown to Delhi

Salim Dola, a close associate of mafia kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, has been brought to India.

He was deported to Delhi Technical Airport from Istanbul. This followed an operation by the intelligence department in collaboration with international agencies.

Dola, who is said to be the key man behind Dawood's drug empire, is currently facing interrogation by intelligence agencies.

He will be handed over to Mumbai Police, after which he will be interrogated by various agencies.

Earlier, 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.

How was Salim Dola, Dawood Ibrahim’s aide, tracked and arrested 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.

Following extensive technical and physical surveillance that allowed security teams to confirm the suspect's exact whereabouts, an operation was executed at the identified address where Dola was successfully apprehended.

He was then processed for deportation to India.

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.

During those related raids in India, authorities seized 126 kilograms and 141 grams of mephedrone alongside 2,522,000 Indian rupees.

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

The Interpol Red Notice specifies that Dola is facing a series of charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

This Indian legislation prescribes a minimum decade-long prison sentence for significant violations and maintains rigorous criteria for bail, especially when the seizure involves commercial-grade quantities of narcotics.

Officials are now anticipated to charge him under the provisions of the NDPS Act and other acts for offences committed.

(With inputs from ANI)