Central agencies and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) successfully brought back drug trafficker Mohammed Salim Dola, aged 59, to India on Tuesday morning. This operation concluded a two-year-long manhunt that spanned multiple countries. Dola, a known henchman of the D-company, was apprehended in Turkiye last week following intensive geolocation efforts involving Indian and international intelligence agencies.
Operation Global-Hunt
The operation, monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), involved a special aircraft that flew Dola from Istanbul to the technical area of Delhi airport. Dola was detained in Turkiye after being geolocated there as part of 'Operation Global-Hunt'. His arrest is considered a major blow to Dawood Ibrahim's narcotics network in Turkiye and Bulgaria, a critical segment of the Balkan route that connects Asia and South American producers to European markets.
Legal Proceedings and Transit
After his arrival, Dola was produced before a magistrate, and a transit remand was sought. He will subsequently be taken to Mumbai. Originally a resident of Dongri in Mumbai, Dola had allegedly been operating a multi-state narcotics syndicate from abroad after fleeing India nearly a decade ago.
Details of the Capture
In early April, agencies zeroed in on a flat in the Beylikduzu district of Istanbul, where Dola had been living and operating under an assumed identity. Authorities in Turkiye and Interpol were alerted, leading to a coordinated raid that resulted in his apprehension. Officials noted that Dola's role consistently emerged as a bulk supplier to downstream distribution networks in India, making him a wanted subject for the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Mumbai police.
Government Response
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the multi-agency operation, stating, "Zero tolerance against Narco syndicates. Under Modi govt's mission to ruthlessly smash drug cartels, our anti-narcotics agencies have extended their claws across borders through a robust network of global agencies. Now no matter where they hide, no place is safe for drug kingpins."
Criminal Background
Sources indicated that Dola is wanted in over a dozen cases across India, including major drug investigations linked to the busting of mephedrone (MD) manufacturing units in Mysuru, Sangli, Karjat, Mira-Bhayander, and Telangana. Investigators believe his primary role involved supplying raw materials for the production of synthetic drugs and managing distribution channels. He had been on the fugitive list since 2018.
Breakthrough and Extradition
The first breakthrough came last year when Dola's son, Tahil, and other associates were arrested by Mumbai police after deportation from the UAE in coordination with the CBI. Agencies then intensified efforts to locate Dola using technical and informer inputs. His UAE passport made him more accessible to Indian agencies.
The NCB stated, "Over the years, Dola, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, had established a major transnational drug trafficking syndicate spanning the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. His two-decade-long criminal antecedents include direct involvement in cases involving high-value seizures of heroin, charas, mephedrone, mandrax, and methamphetamine in Maharashtra and Gujarat."
