Dawood Aide Salim Dola Deported to India; Major Blow to ₹5,000 Crore Drug Syndicate

New Delhi (IANS): Indian law enforcement achieved a major breakthrough in the crackdown on organized crime on Tuesday as Salim Dola, a key operative of the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate, was deported from Turkey. A special aircraft brought Dola to the national capital, where he was immediately handed over to Central Intelligence officials.

Dismantling the Underworld’s Financial Backbone

Dola allegedly managed a narcotics empire valued at ₹5,000 crore. Officials describe his deportation as a severe blow to the underworld and ISI-backed drug cartels. The operation highlights the deepening coordination between Indian and international intelligence agencies.

Central agencies plan to subject Dola to intense interrogation focusing on:

• Domestic Operations: Identifying his active supply chains and sleeper cells within India.

• International Links: Mapping his connections with global cartels, including those operating out of Mexico and Myanmar.

• Terror Funding: Investigating the “narco-terror” nexus where the ISI allegedly diverts 40% of drug earnings to fund groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

A Pattern of Success Against Organized Crime

Dola’s deportation follows a series of legal victories for India. Authorities previously extradited his son, Taher Dola, and deported his close associate, Salim Mohamed Sheikh, from Dubai.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Mumbai Police are expected to seek custody to probe money laundering cases linked to the Dola network. This development aligns with the government’s aggressive “Drug-Free India” campaign, which recently saw massive seizures in the Andaman Islands and the Northeast, where drug money often funds regional insurgent groups.

Targeting the Global Supply Chain

Intelligence suggests that Dola’s network facilitated transit for Mexican cartels moving consignments through India to Thailand. Furthermore, his questioning is expected to reveal the location of clandestine drug labs and expose the ISI’s role in orchestrating the industrial-scale flow of narcotics into Indian territory.