Top News

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, May 16, announced that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized the first-ever consignment of Captagon in India, the so-called “jihadi drug”, worth Rs 182 crore, in a landmark operation targeting a consignment destined for the Middle East.

Shah, posting on X, said the Modi government remains firmly resolved to achieve 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,” Shah said.

The home minister said the operation also led to the arrest of a foreign national. “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,” he added.

“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,” Shah said.

Captagon is an amphetamine-based stimulant that has long been associated with militant groups across the Middle East. Invented in Germany in the 1960s to treat attention and sleep disorders, it was banned across most of the world in the 1980s after its highly addictive nature became evident. T

he drug boosts alertness, focus and energy while suppressing the need for sleep and food, effects that made it attractive to fighters seeking to endure prolonged combat.

Users report heightened fearlessness and a sense of invincibility, with the drug also dulling pain.

Militant organisations including ISIS have been linked to the Captagon trade, using it both to enhance battlefield performance and as a source of revenue to fund operations, procure weapons and recruit fighters.

With an estimated 80 per cent of global supply produced in Syria, the drug has become a serious national security concern across Gulf states. Its interception in India for the first time signals that the country is increasingly on the radar of international drug trafficking networks using the subcontinent as a transit route.

Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.