Operation RAGEPILL: India Seizes 'Jihadi Drug' Captagon For First Time In Major ₹182 Crore Bust

· Free Press Journal

The Central Government on Friday announced India’s first-ever seizure of Captagon, a synthetic stimulant commonly referred to as the “Jihadi drug”, in a major anti-narcotics operation led by the Narcotics Control Bureau.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the seizure was made under ‘Operation RAGEPILL’, with authorities intercepting a consignment valued at nearly ₹182 crore that was allegedly destined for the Middle East.

Amit Shah Reiterates Zero-Tolerance Policy

In a statement posted on X, Shah said the operation reflected the government’s commitment towards building a “Drug-Free India”.

“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 wrote.

He added that the arrest of a foreign national and the seizure of the consignment demonstrated India’s “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,” the Home Minister said.

What Is Captagon?

Captagon is the street name historically associated with Fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant originally developed in the 1960s for medical conditions such as attention disorders and narcolepsy.

Due to its highly addictive nature and abuse potential, the pharmaceutical version was banned internationally decades ago.

However, illicitly manufactured Captagon tablets continue to circulate widely in illegal drug markets, especially in parts of the Middle East and West Asia.

Most modern Captagon tablets reportedly contain mixtures of amphetamine, caffeine, methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants.

Why Is It Called The ‘Jihadi Drug’?

Captagon has often been referred to as the “Jihadi drug” because intelligence agencies and international investigations have repeatedly linked its trafficking and abuse to extremist and conflict-zone networks operating in parts of West Asia.

The stimulant is believed to increase alertness, suppress fatigue and fear, heighten aggression and encourage risk-taking behaviour effects that reportedly made it popular among armed groups operating in conflict zones.

International agencies have also warned that profits from Captagon trafficking have become a major source of illegal financing for organised crime syndicates and extremist-linked networks.

Due to its low production cost and widespread illicit demand, the drug has also earned the nickname “Poor Man’s Cocaine” in certain regions.

Growing Global Synthetic Drug Threat

Though legal production of Captagon ceased in the 1980s, illegal manufacturing has reportedly expanded significantly in recent years across parts of Europe and the Middle East.

Global agencies have identified the Captagon trade as one of the fastest-growing synthetic drug threats, involving clandestine laboratories, hawala financing, forged trade documents, maritime smuggling routes and sophisticated trafficking mechanisms.

Crackdown On Drug Networks Continues

The seizure comes amid an intensified anti-narcotics campaign by the Indian government.

NCB's Operation White Strike Seizes 349 Kg Cocaine Worth ₹1,745 Crore In Mumbai, Bhiwandi Corridor

Last month, authorities extradited Mohammad Salim Dola, an alleged drug trafficker and aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, from Turkey to India.

Dola was arrested in Istanbul after a coordinated operation involving Indian agencies and the Narcotics Crimes Division of the Istanbul Police Department.

Praising the operation at the time, Amit Shah had said India’s anti-narcotics agencies had “extended their claws across borders” and warned that “no place is safe for drug kingpins”.

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