Dawood aide Salim Dola extradited to India in major drug trafficking case

Salim Dola, an alleged drug trafficker and close aide of fugitive underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim, has been extradited to India from Turkey in connection with a narcotics case, officials said.

Dola, who had been on the run for several years, was detained in Istanbul during a joint operation involving Turkish authorities and intelligence agencies before being deported to India.

According to officials, Dola is accused of being part of an international drug trafficking network linked to the D-Company syndicate. He faces multiple cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which deals with serious offences related to drug trafficking.

Investigators said Dola had left India around 2015–16 and had been operating from abroad, allegedly using forged identity documents to evade detection while continuing his involvement in narcotics smuggling operations.

He is believed to have played a key role in coordinating drug supply chains and maintaining links between international syndicates and local networks in India, particularly in Mumbai.

Authorities had earlier issued an Interpol Red Notice against him as part of efforts to track his movements and facilitate extradition. His return is being seen as part of a broader crackdown on transnational drug networks linked to organised crime groups.

Officials said Dola will now face legal proceedings in India, where multiple cases against him are pending. Under the NDPS Act, offences involving commercial quantities of drugs carry stringent penalties, including long prison terms and strict bail conditions.

The extradition highlights increasing coordination between Indian agencies and international counterparts in pursuing fugitives involved in organised crime and narcotics trafficking.