MAY 16, 2026 (AGENCIES) : For the first time in India, an anti-drug operation named ‘Operation RAGEPILL’ by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized a massive consignment of Captagon tablets, also known as the “jihadi drug” or “poor man’s cocaine,” worth nearly Rs 182 crore from Gujarat’s Mundra Port and Delhi’s Neb Sarai.
This highly addictive drug, believed to be a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant, has reportedly spread widely and is heavily concentrated in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa), particularly in Gulf countries and conflict-ridden regions.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the drugs were meant to be smuggled to the Middle East and described the seizure as a major success in India’s fight against narcotics trafficking.
In a post on X, Shah wrote, “The Modi Government is resolved towards 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 a transit route. Kudos to the brave and vigilant warriors of the NCB.”
