New Delhi: India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized the notorious drug Captagon – commonly called the “Jihadi Drug” – for the very first time in the country. The operation RAGEPILL, led to the recovery of approximately 227.7 kilograms of Captagon tablets and powder worth an estimated ₹182 crore in international markets. A Syrian national has been arrested in connection with the case.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the breakthrough on X, saying: “Modi govt is resolved for a ‘Drug-Free India’. Glad to share that through ‘Operation RAGEPILL’, our agencies have achieved the first-ever seizure of Captagon, the so-called ‘Jihadi Drug’, worth ₹182 crore,” Shah said.
“The busting of the drug consignment destined for the Middle East and the arrest of a foreign national stand out as shining examples of our commitment to zero tolerance against drugs. I repeat, we will clamp down on every gram of drugs entering India or leaving the country using our territory as the transit route. Kudos to the brave and vigilant warriors of the NCB,” He added.
According to the NCB, the operation began after the agency received intelligence from a foreign drug law enforcement agency that India was being used as a transit route for Captagon trafficking. Acting on this tip, NCB officials identified a house in the Neb Sarai area of New Delhi and raided it on May 11. Officers recovered approximately 31.5 kilograms of Captagon tablets, hidden inside a commercial chapati cutting machine. The NCB said the consignment was intended for export to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The arrested Syrian national, according to NCB, had entered India on a tourist visa on November 15, 2024. His visa expired on January 12, 2025, after which he continued to stay in India illegally and had rented the Neb Sarai property.
Following interrogation of the accused, NCB investigators tracked another consignment to a container at the Container Freight Station (CFS) in Mundra, Gujarat. On May 14, officers searched the container, which had been imported from Syria under the declared cargo of sheep wool. A thorough search led to the recovery of three concealed bags containing 196.2 kilograms of Captagon powder inside the container.
The NCB, in its official statement, said the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that Captagon primarily contains Fenetylline and Amphetamine, both listed as psychotropic substances under India’s NDPS Act.
Why is it called the “jihadi drug”?
Captagon is not a new drug. It was first developed in Germany in the 1960s to treat attention disorders and sleep problems. However, it was banned across most of the world in the 1980s after its highly addictive nature became clear.
The drug earned its dark nickname because of its reported use by terrorist groups in the Middle East. According to international security and drug enforcement agencies, ISIS fighters were found to be using Captagon from around 2015 onwards. The drug reportedly allowed them to stay awake for long periods, suppress fear, reduce pain and carry out attacks with increased aggression. Security experts have also noted that profits from Captagon trafficking became a significant source of funding for extremist networks.
Syria became the largest production hub for the drug. Estimates by international agencies suggest Captagon exports from Syria alone crossed $3.5 billion in 2020, which was five times the value of the country’s entire legal export industries put together. Saudi Arabia is considered the biggest consumer market, with an estimated 600 million pills consumed annually.
The NCB said the entire recovered consignment was meant for transshipment to Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf countries, where Captagon abuse has become a serious public health and law enforcement problem.
The NCB has now launched a full investigation to trace the drug’s procurement sources, the financial and hawala networks involved, logistics facilitators and international receivers connected to this syndicate.
This bust comes close on the heels of another major NCB seizure in Mumbai, where 349 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from a container originating from Ecuador, pointing to a growing trend of international drug cartels using India’s trade routes for narcotics smuggling.
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