Dawood Ibrahim aide deported to India in major anti-drugs crackdown

In a major breakthrough against transnational drug networks, Indian agencies have secured the deportation of Salim Dola, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, from Turkey.

He was brought to India in the early hours of April 28 via a special aircraft following a coordinated operation involving multiple international agencies.

Dola, who was detained in Istanbul a day earlier, is considered a key figure in the overseas narcotics operations of the D-Company. Investigators believe he was overseeing a vast drug trafficking network with an estimated turnover running into thousands of crores annually, making his deportation a significant setback to the syndicate.

Upon arrival at the airport in Delhi, Dola was immediately taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by central intelligence officials. Sources indicate that after initial questioning, he is likely to be handed over either to the Mumbai Police or the Narcotics Control Bureau for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Officials say the arrest could provide crucial leads into the workings of international drug routes, financial channels, and key operatives linked to the network.

Network under pressure

Dola’s deportation marks the latest in a series of actions targeting his network. In June 2025, his son, Taher Dola, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. Months later, another close aide, Salim Mohammed Sohail Shaikh, was deported from Dubai and arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell.

These coordinated moves indicate a sustained crackdown on the syndicate, which faces multiple charges in India, including drug manufacturing, international smuggling, and organised crime.

Money laundering probe underway

Apart from narcotics cases, Dola and his associates are also under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate, which is probing several money laundering cases linked to the group’s operations.

With Dola now in custody, agencies expect further breakthroughs as they attempt to dismantle one of the key overseas arms of the D-Company’s drug empire.