The BRICS TimesNotorious drug mafia kingpin Salim Dola, widely known as a trusted associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has been arrested in Turkey. An Interpol red notice fugitive, Dola was hiding with a fake UAE identity. His connections stretched across a global synthetic drug network spanning multiple countries.
India’s most-wanted drug lord caught in Istanbul joint operation
India’s dreaded drug mafia boss Salim Dola, considered a key player in international narcotics trafficking, has been nabbed in Turkey. Turkish intelligence agency MIT and local police jointly conducted the operation in Istanbul. Dola is widely regarded as one of Dawood Ibrahim’s most trusted associates in the criminal underworld.
Dola was hiding in Istanbul using forged UAE identity documents when he got caught. His arrest deals a severe blow to the underworld-linked drug network operating across borders. He had been running an international drug trafficking operation for a very long time. According to sources, Dola’s connections ran deep into a global synthetic drug network. His criminal web spread across several countries. The most shocking revelation is that this drug racket links directly to Dawood Ibrahim’s notorious criminal empire.
Salim Dola is a close confidant of Dawood Ibrahim
Dola previously ran his entire drug syndicate from Mumbai and later shifted base to Dubai. Officials say he was tracked down in Istanbul, where he was hiding behind fake United Arab Emirates identity papers. Interpol, the global policing body, had also been actively hunting Dola. He kept moving between different locations using forged documents to evade arrest.
Dola’s son and three family members were arrested in 2025
In October 2025, Mumbai Crime Branch extradited Dola’s key associate Mohammed Salim Sohail Sheikh from Dubai to India. Then in November 2025, Mumbai Police arrested Dola’s son Tahir Dola along with three other family members. All four were brought back from Dubai and taken into custody.
NCB announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on Salim Dola
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on Salim Dola’s head. Authorities have also issued a Red Corner Notice against him. According to sources, Dola controlled his network from Dubai and managed a major supply channel of drugs into India. Security agencies confirm he holds a Saudi Arabian passport.
Dola’s arrest is expected to reveal major secrets of the drug network
Direct deportation or extradition from Turkey to India is not currently possible. Therefore, security agencies are working through international forums and using UAE channels to bring him to India. Officials believe Dola’s arrest will lead to major revelations. These disclosures could blow the cover off the entire criminal network.
Mumbai Police has also issued a Red Corner Notice against Salim Dola. He is originally from Mumbai. Security officials reveal that Dola’s father worked closely with Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai for many years. Later, Salim himself began working for Dawood’s D-Company in Dubai.
Akshay Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
Pratik Agrawal
