India, April 26 -- Salim Dola, the alleged mastermind behind one of the largest synthetic drug manufacturing and supply cartels operational in India, started out selling gutkha, and has a Dawood Ibrahim connection.

Officers from the Mumbai police crime branch, which is probing a major narcotics case with Dola as a key accused, have told HT that the drug lord has been detained in Turkey's Istanbul. Dola was detained in a joint operation carried out by the Turkish national intelligence organisation, MIT, and local police units, based on an Interpol red corner notice (RCN). The RCN was issued following a request from India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as the gangster was wanted by the Mumbai police.

Salim Dola was born into a mi...