New Delhi, Apr 28: Salim Dola, a close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and a key figure in an international drug syndicate, was deported Tuesday in what officials described as a significant breakthrough for Indian law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

According to sources, Dola was brought to Delhi airport in the early hours aboard a special aircraft following a coordinated operation involving Indian intelligence agencies and their international counterparts. Officials confirmed that the deportation was carried out after sustained efforts and close collaboration between multiple agencies across jurisdictions.

According to sources, Dola is currently being interrogated by intelligence agencies in Delhi and will subsequently be handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai for further investigation. He is expected to be questioned in connection with several cases related to large-scale drug trafficking and international smuggling.

Dola was recently arrested in Istanbul, Turkey, in a joint operation involving local law enforcement and intelligence units. His detention was based on an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued at the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Indian authorities, particularly the Mumbai Police, had been seeking his custody for years in connection with multiple narcotics-related cases.

The deportation of Salim Dola follows a series of high-profile actions by Indian agencies against the network. In June 2025, his son, Taher Dola, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. Months later, another key associate, Salim Mohammed Sohail Shaikh, was deported from Dubai and arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell. These developments indicate a tightening crackdown on a network involved in extensive criminal activities, including drug manufacturing, trafficking, and other illicit operations.

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Officials estimate that Dola operated a drug empire worth approximately Rs 5,000 crore, making him one of the most significant players in the syndicate. His arrest is seen as a major blow not only to the Dawood Ibrahim network but also to its alleged financial channels. Investigators believe that proceeds from narcotics trafficking were used to fund activities detrimental to India’s security interests.

Security experts have emphasised that dismantling narco-networks is a crucial aspect of counter-terrorism efforts, as such syndicates often serve as financial backbones for extremist activities. The arrests of Dola, his son, and his close aides suggest that the syndicate’s operations are gradually weakening.

Investigations have revealed that the network operated a transnational synthetic drug trafficking system spanning several countries. It allegedly established laboratories and manufacturing units in various parts of India to produce and distribute illegal substances.

Dola was born in Mumbai in 1966 and got close to the underworld at a very young age. He worked closely with Dawood’s right-hand man, Chhota Shakeel. His operations began by supplying ghutkha, following which he smuggled weed or marijuana. He was arrested in 2012 by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after 80 grams of weed were found in his possession. He was acquitted after spending five years in jail.

After his release, he set up a drug manufacturing unit for a synthetic drug known as Button, which is made using fentanyl. In 2018, he was arrested once again in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, after 100 kg of fentanyl was seized from him. However, he was out on bail after four months, as the forensic report said that the tested samples of fentanyl came back negative. He fled to the UAE while he was out on bail.

(IANS)