An alleged close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and a key figure in the illegal drug trade linked to India has been detained in Istanbul.
The accused, identified as Saleem Dola, had been on the radar of multiple Indian agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and police units across several states.
Officials said Saleem Dola is believed to have played a significant role in overseeing and coordinating drug trafficking operations connected to networks operating in and around India.
He was reportedly considered a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim and an important link in the criminal syndicate’s narcotics activities.
According to the details, law enforcement agencies in India had been actively pursuing Saleem Dola for his alleged involvement in drug-related offences.
His name had surfaced in multiple investigations, and he was listed as a wanted accused in ongoing cases.
An Interpol Red Corner Notice had also been issued against him, indicating the seriousness of the charges and the international effort to track his movements.
The development comes after the Mumbai Police arrested several individuals linked to a major drug case in which Saleem Dola was named as a fugitive accused.
Investigators believe that his network extended across multiple regions, with operatives handling different aspects of the drug trade.
ANOTHER ARMS SUPPLIER WAS ARRESTED IN NEPAL LAST YEAR
In August 2025, India’s most wanted illegal arms supplier, Sheikh Salim alias ‘Salim Pistol’, was arrested in Nepal in a joint operation involving the Delhi Police Special Cell and Nepal Police.
Salim had been supplying sophisticated weapons from Pakistan into India for years.
Investigations revealed links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, as well as Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company.
He was known to supply arms to prominent gangsters, including Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba, and his name had also surfaced in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case.
Salim, a resident of Delhi, had a long criminal history dating back to 2000, beginning with vehicle theft.
Over the years, he was involved in serious crimes, including armed robbery.
He was arrested in 2018 but later fled abroad before being tracked down in Nepal based on intelligence inputs.
RISE IN COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY OPERATIONS
On April 14, a report with IANS noted that Indian agencies have observed a sharp increase in counterfeit currency seizures, pointing to an expansion of operations by organised crime networks linked to Dawood Ibrahim.
Officials indicated that the syndicate is now directing operatives within India to print fake currency locally rather than relying solely on cross-border smuggling routes through Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The strategy involves smaller, frequent operations to avoid detection while maintaining overall circulation volume.
Intelligence Bureau officials noted that operatives are shifting bases regularly, complicating enforcement efforts.
The syndicate is also expanding operations across multiple states, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
Source: News18