India’s agencies secure Salim Dola’s return in a coordinated global effort, with investigators now probing his network, financial links and alleged connections to terror funding operations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks during a public address, alongside an Interpol Red Notice image of alleged drug trafficker Salim Dola, who has been deported to India. | IANS/ANI
The deportation of alleged drug trafficker Salim Dola to India has drawn a sharp message from the Centre, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah declaring that “no place is safe for drug kingpins” as agencies intensify their crackdown on global narcotics networks.
The development marks a key moment in India’s expanding anti-narcotics push, with officials pointing to growing coordination with foreign agencies and a wider effort to dismantle organised crime linked to terror financing and cross-border syndicates.
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Dola, described as a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested in Turkey and flown to New Delhi in a special aircraft on Tuesday. He has since been taken to the Narcotics Control Bureau headquarters in RK Puram, where questioning is underway under tight security.
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In a post on X, Shah said, “Zero tolerance against Narco syndicate. The Narcotics Control Bureau of India today made a major breakthrough in securing the return of notorious drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkey. Under Modi govt’s mission to ruthlessly smash drug cartels, our anti-narcotics agencies have extended their claws across borders through a robust network of global agencies.”
“Now, no matter where they hide, no place is safe for drug kingpins,” he added.
Zero tolerance against Narco syndicate.
The @narcoticsbureau today made a major breakthrough in securing the return of notorious drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkiye. Under Modi govt’s mission to ruthlessly smash drug cartels, our anti-narcotics agencies have…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 28, 2026
Officials said the swift deportation was made possible through close coordination between Indian and international intelligence agencies. Dola is believed to have operated a narcotics network valued at around Rs 5,000 crore, with links to underworld groups and Pakistan-backed elements.
His interrogation is expected to focus on operations within India as well as connections with international traffickers. Intelligence officials indicated that questioning will also probe his role in the Dawood syndicate and attempt to map supply chains linked to it.
Investigators say Dola’s return is part of a broader series of actions targeting his network. His son, Taher Dola, had earlier been extradited to India, while another associate, Salim Mohamed Sheikh, was deported from Dubai and is currently in custody with Mumbai’s anti-narcotics cell.
Multiple agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, are likely to question Dola as part of ongoing money laundering probes. Authorities believe the network has been under scrutiny for some time in connection with financial flows tied to drug trafficking.
Recent operations have also seen large drug seizures, including in the Andaman region, where consignments allegedly linked to international cartels were intercepted. Officials said some of these shipments were routed through India with intended destinations such as Thailand, while others originated from networks operating out of Myanmar and targeting northeastern states.
Agencies are also examining the financial trail behind such operations. Officials said proceeds from narcotics trade are suspected to fund insurgent groups in the northeast and have links to Pakistan-based terror outfits.
Sources indicated that elements connected to the Dawood network have historically supported groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, with intelligence inputs suggesting a portion of drug earnings being channelled into terror activities.
Investigators believe Dola’s interrogation could provide crucial insights into these links, including the location of drug labs and the structure of the network operating across borders.
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