India's first-ever Rs 182 crore Captagon seizure: All you need to know about the 'Jihadi Drug' bust under Operation Ragepill

Captagon is a banned stimulant with deep roots in the criminal underworld of West Asia. The drug gained global notoriety due to its links with militant groups and international trafficking networks, leading to frequent references as the “Jihadi Drug” in global media reports.

India has recorded its first-ever seizure of Captagon, a banned synthetic stimulant often referred to internationally as the “Jihadi Drug”, in a major anti-narcotics operation led by the Narcotics Control Bureau under Operation Ragepill. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Rs 182 crore consignment was bound for the Middle East, with one foreign national arrested.

Amit Shah announces major Captagon seizure in India

Sharing the details of the operation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a post on X said that the Narcotics Control Bureau under Operation Ragepill Captagon drug bust by NCB had achieved the first-ever seizure of Captagon, the so-called "Jihadi Drug," worth Rs 182 crore.

In a post on X, Shah said, "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 Rs 182 crore."

Foreign national arrested in Captagon smuggling case in India

Home Minister Shah confirmed that the drug consignment was destined for the Middle East. He added that a foreign national was arrested in connection with the operation.

Reiterating the Central government's resolve for a Drug-Free India, Shah said India will clamp down on every gram of drugs entering the country or leaving it using Indian territory as a transit route.

"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 in the post.

What is Captagon, the so-called 'Jihadi Drug'?

Captagon is a banned stimulant with deep roots in the criminal underworld of West Asia. The drug gained global notoriety due to its links with militant groups and international trafficking networks, leading to frequent references as the “Jihadi Drug” in global media reports.

It is a highly addictive amphetamine-type stimulant that earned global infamy for its ties to militant networks and the Syrian Civil War. The nickname comes from its documented use and trafficking by extremist outfits, most notably ISIS. Fighters used it to stay awake for days, suppress hunger, and heighten combat alertness. It reportedly created a feeling of invincibility while dulling fear and pain.

Beyond the battlefield, Captagon became a major source of revenue for militant groups and organised crime syndicates. International media amplified the term after reports linked perpetrators of major attacks, including the 2015 Paris attacks, to the drug.

Originally developed in Germany in 1961, Captagon began as a legal pharmaceutical called Fenethylline, prescribed for narcolepsy, depression and ADHD. However, its severe addictive potential and dangerous side effects, including hallucinations and psychosis, prompted the United Nations to ban it in 1986.

India crackdown on drug trafficking network

Indian authorities have in recent years intensified surveillance of synthetic drug flows and transnational narcotics networks operating through maritime and air cargo routes, according to IANS.

The latest seizure comes amid a series of high-profile anti-drug operations highlighted by Amit Shah over the past year. According to reports, the NCB seized more than 1.33 lakh kg of narcotic substances worth nearly Rs 1,980 crore in 2025 and arrested 994 traffickers, including 25 foreign nationals, in 447 cases across the country.

The latest NCB Captagon raid is being seen as a breakthrough in India’s ongoing crackdown on international drug syndicates and Middle East-linked narcotics routes.