BackWORLD
Salim Dola, Dawood-linked gangster, detained in Istanbul after drug and real estate links
Salim Dola, once a gutkha seller who expanded into marijuana and synthetic drugs, has been detained in Istanbul in a joint MIT operation based on an Interpol Red Corner Notice. His career included 2012 marijuana arrests and a 2018 fentanyl case, with bail and UAE flight in between; he is now subject to extradition efforts via the UAE.
Why It Matters
The case highlights cross-border criminal networks and law-enforcement cooperation, including extradition channels through third countries.
Timeline
5 Events
Detention in Istanbul; Interpol notice and extradition plan
April 26, 2026
Dola was detained in Istanbul, Turkey, in a joint operation by the Turkish national intelligence organisation MIT and local police, based on an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued following a request from India's Central Bureau of Investigation. Authorities plan to pursue extradition via the UAE since India does not have an extradition treaty with Turkey.
2018 fentanyl arrest in Mumbai; bail and UAE flight
2018
In 2018, Mumbai anti-narcotics cell arrested Dola in Santa Cruz with 100 kilograms of fentanyl. He was granted bail after about four months when forensic tests reportedly showed the samples negative for fentanyl, and he subsequently fled to the UAE.
Acquitted in 2017
2017
In 2017, Salim Dola was acquitted by the court after spending five years in jail.
Arrest in 2012 over marijuana; jailed
2012
In 2012, the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested Salim Dola after 80 kilograms of marijuana were found in his possession; he remained in jail for five years.
Birth of Salim Dola
1966
Salim Dola was born into a middle-class family in the Ghodapdeo neighbourhood of Mumbai’s Byculla in 1966.