India’s Most Wanted Illegal Arms Supplier Arrested in Nepal

Sheikh Salim, also known as 'Salim Pistol,' one of India’s most wanted illegal arms dealers, has been detained in Nepal, police said Saturday. His arrest was made possible by a coordinated attack by the Delhi Police Special Cell, Indian security agencies, and the Nepal Police.

For a number of years, Salim has been bringing cutting-edge weapons into India from Pakistan. Investigations reveal his links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, and the criminal underworld group D-Company led by Dawood Ibrahim. He was a major supplier of weapons to infamous gangsters such as Hashim Baba and Lawrence Bishnoi. His name also came up in the high-profile Sidhu Moosewala murder case.

Salim was first arrested in Delhi in 2018 but escaped after securing bail and fled abroad. His arrest was carried out in cooperation with local officials after recent intelligence revealed that he was hiding in Nepal.

Salim, from Seelampur in Delhi, left school after 8th grade and started his criminal career in vehicle theft around 2000, followed by armed robbery and the large-scale sale and transfer of arms.

Salim is said to have committed a number of serious 'crimes' during a long-standing criminal career including large armed robberies such as an armed robbery in 2011. Once again his arrest is hailed as a major step forward in India's counter-arms trafficking operations as well as against organized crime.