New Delhi:
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized over 227 kilograms of Captagon, a powerful psychotropic stimulant widely abused across the Middle East, in what marks the country’s first-ever interception of the substance. The anti-drug body announced the breakthrough on Saturday, achieved under Operation RAGEPILL, revealing that an international syndicate had been systematically exploiting India as a transit corridor to funnel the drug into Gulf nations.
The operation, which unfolded across two states over four days, resulted in the arrest of a Syrian national, who had been illegally overstaying in India for over a year after his tourist visa lapsed.
Drug Hidden In Chapati Machines, Sheep Wool
The investigation began after a tip-off from a foreign drug law enforcement agency flagged India’s use as a transit route for Captagon trafficking. Acting on this intelligence, NCB officers zeroed in on a residential property in New Delhi’s Neb Sarai and conducted a search on May 11. What they found were approximately 31.5 kilograms of Captagon tablets, meticulously stuffed inside a commercial chapati-cutting machine. Preliminary investigation indicated the consignment was headed for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The arrested Syrian national had entered India on a tourist visa in November 2024, but his visa expired in January 2025 – yet he continued to live at the Neb Sarai address, which he had rented as a base for operations.
His questioning led investigators further. Four days later, on May 14, NCB teams descended on a Container Facilitation Station in Mundra, Gujarat, and searched a shipping container that had arrived from Syria, declared as carrying sheep wool. Buried within the cargo were three bags holding 196.2 kilograms of Captagon powder, the single largest haul of the operation. This consignment, too, was bound for Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf countries, where the drug has become a major public health and law enforcement crisis.
Amit Shah Praises Anti-Drug Agency, Pledges Zero Tolerance
Union Home Minister Amit Shah crediting the NCB’s work, writing in a post on X, “PM Modi government 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 Rs 182 crore. 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.”
The post underscored the political weight the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has attached to anti-narcotics operations, framing the seizure as part of a broader national mission to keep India free of drug abuse.
What Is Captagon, Why Does It Matter
Captagon, which primarily contains fenetylline and amphetamine, is classified as a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Long a niche stimulant, it surged to global notoriety when the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011, where it was reportedly used by combatants to suppress fear and fatigue – earning it the grim tag “Jihadi Drug”. Today, it is widely abused across the Gulf region, with Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries grappling with a full-blown consumption epidemic.
The 227.7 kilograms seizure in Operation RAGEPILL carries an estimated international market value of Rs 182 crore, reflecting just how lucrative the trade has become.
Pattern Of Misuse
This seizure is not an isolated incident. The NCB recently intercepted 349 kilograms of cocaine in Mumbai, concealed inside a container originating from Ecuador, pointing to a troubling pattern of transnational cartels exploiting India’s commercial cargo networks as cover for drug shipments.
The NCB has now launched a wide-ranging probe into the procurement sources, hawala financial networks, logistics facilitators and international receivers tied to the Captagon syndicate. Citizens with information are urged to contact the MANAS Helpline at 1933, with caller identities guaranteed to remain confidential.