New Delhi: India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has secured the return of fugitive international drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkey under a special operation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday.
Dola (59), a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested in Turkey based on an Interpol Red Notice issued at India’s request in March 2024. He had been absconding for the past two years and was wanted in multiple narcotics trafficking cases.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the operation—codenamed “Operation Global-Hunt”—was carried out with the support of international agencies. Dola was brought to New Delhi early Tuesday and taken into custody at IGI Airport by the NCB. He will be produced before a Delhi court for transit remand and later shifted to Mumbai for further legal proceedings.
Officials said Dola had built a large transnational drug network over the last two decades, operating across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He is wanted by several Indian agencies, including the Maharashtra Police, Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
Dola faces multiple charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and is linked to major drug seizures involving heroin, charas, methamphetamine, mandrax, and mephedrone. Authorities described him as a key bulk supplier feeding illegal drug distribution networks in India.
Highlighting the government’s crackdown on drug cartels, Amit Shah said India’s anti-narcotics agencies are expanding their global reach to track fugitives. “No matter where they hide, no place is safe for drug kingpins,” he said, reiterating a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics syndicates.
Earlier, in 2025, Dola’s son Tahil Salim Dola and several associates were arrested by Mumbai Police after being deported from the UAE. Officials said the latest operation reflects strong coordination between Indian agencies, Turkish authorities, and Interpol to bring global drug traffickers to justice.
