In a major breakthrough, the Interpol Wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully brought back Taher Salim Dola, a key accused in the ₹256 crore mephedrone (MD) drug racket busted in Solapur last year. The fugitive was arrested in Abu Dhabi based on a Red Corner Notice and was extradited to India on Thursday.
Last year, the Mumbai Police had raided a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Solapur, seizing 256 kilograms of the banned synthetic drug. Following the investigation, Taher Dola was identified as one of the key players in the operation and had been absconding abroad. On the request of Mumbai Police, Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him on 25 November 2024.
Dola was apprehended by Abu Dhabi's National Central Bureau on 27 January 2025, and after diplomatic coordination between India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and UAE authorities, he was extradited and brought to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Thursday.
The investigation had earlier begun on 15 February 2024, when Unit 8 of the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a woman from the Kurla area with 641 grams of mephedrone. Based on the information she provided, further raids were conducted in Mira Road, leading to the seizure of 3 kg of the drug.
A month later, acting on more leads, the Crime Branch raided a mephedrone manufacturing factory in Irali village of Kavathe Mahankal taluka in Sangli district, seizing 126 kg of MD. A total of 11 accused have been arrested in the case so far, including three who were nabbed from Gujarat. Investigations revealed that Taher Dola was operating the drug factory remotely from abroad during that period.
The extradition marks a significant success in the crackdown against international drug syndicates, and Mumbai Police are expected to interrogate Dola further to uncover the wider network behind the massive drug operation.