Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday declared the government's determination to ruthlessly crush narcotics networks, following a massive seizure of 349 kilograms of high-grade cocaine valued at Rs 1,745 crore by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai. Shah described the operation as a major success against an international drug cartel.
Shah's Statement on Social Media
Taking to X, Shah wrote, "We are resolved to ruthlessly crush the narcotics cartel. The @narcoticsbureau has cracked down on a major international narcotics ring seizing 349 kgs of High-Grade cocaine worth Rs.1745 crore in Mumbai. This is a trailblazing example of bottom to top approach where the agency traced back a smaller consignment to net a massive network. Congratulations to Team NCB for this monumental success."
Operation Global-Hunt: Deportation of Wanted Trafficker
In a parallel development, the NCB, in close coordination with international and Indian intelligence agencies, secured the return of wanted drug trafficker Mohammed Salim Dola from Turkiye under 'Operation Global-Hunt'. Dola was taken into custody upon his arrival at IGI Airport in New Delhi early Friday morning.
Details of the Deportation
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Salim Dola, a 59-year-old from Mumbai, was the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice issued at India's request in March 2024. He 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 several countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. His two-decade-long criminal history includes direct involvement in cases involving multiple high-value seizures of heroin, charas, mephedrone, mandrax, and methamphetamine in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The MHA stated, "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 or extradition from the UAE in 2025. This effort exemplifies close cooperation and coordinated action between the authorities in Turkiye, INTERPOL, and Indian agencies."
The NCB's recent successes underscore the government's intensified crackdown on drug trafficking networks operating both domestically and internationally.
