Dawood aide Salim Dola lived as ‘Hamza’ in Turkey before deportation: Report

Mohammad Salim Dola, a 59-year-old alleged mastermind of a transnational narcotics network, used the alias “Hamza” while living in Turkey, masking his identity with a Bulgarian passport, according to a report by Press Trust of India. Authorities are still verifying the authenticity of the document.

Dola was deported to India on April 28 and has since been remanded to the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) until May 8. He had been detained by Turkish intelligence agencies along with local police in Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district before his deportation.

Arrest linked to Interpol notice

His arrest in Turkey followed an Interpol Red Notice issued at India’s request in March 2024, after years of evading authorities.

Long criminal history

Dola, originally from Mumbai, has a long history in narcotics trafficking. He was first arrested in 2012 after the NCB seized 80 kg of marijuana. In 2018, he was arrested again following the recovery of 100 kg of suspected fentanyl.

Although some samples later tested negative, leading to his release on bail, Dola allegedly fled the country—first to the UAE and then to Turkey using forged documents.

Links to underworld

Investigators have linked Dola to the network of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Over the years, he is believed to have built a sprawling drug trafficking syndicate operating across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

According to officials, his involvement spans multiple high-value seizures of heroin, charas, mephedrone, mandrax and methamphetamine in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Key role in recent cases

The NCB has identified Dola as a key supplier in a major drug seizure case in south Mumbai in June 2023, involving commercial quantities of mephedrone.

With his deportation, authorities see a significant breakthrough in dismantling international drug networks linked to India, even as investigations into his operations and associates continue.