India’s First Captagon Bust Unearths ₹182 Crore International Drug Syndicate
NEW DELHI — In a major breakthrough against transnational narcotics cartels, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has officially dismantled a high-profile international drug syndicate. Codenamed Operation Ragepill, the sting operation culminated in India’s first-ever seizure of Captagon, netting a massive 227.7 kg of the highly addictive synthetic stimulant.
The intercepted haul carries an estimated illicit international market value of ₹182 crore in its intended destination markets.
The Modus Operandi: Hidden in Plain Sight
The transnational network attempted to leverage India as a strategic transit hub, deploying sophisticated concealment methods across multiple states to reroute the contraband to West Asia. Acting on precise intelligence, the federal agency executed twin raids:
1. The Delhi Safehouse Bust
On May 11, 2026, NCB operatives raided a residential property in the Neb Sarai area of New Delhi. Agents uncovered 31.5 kg of Captagon tablets tightly packed inside a commercial chapati-cutting machine. The industrial kitchen equipment was already packaged and prepared for export to the major West Asian trade hub of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2. The Mundra Port Interception
Follow-up interrogations quickly directed federal agents to the Arabian Sea coast. On May 14, 2026, a secondary raid at Mundra Port in Gujarat—one of India’s largest commercial maritime gateways—exposed an additional 196.2 kg of Captagon powder. The bulk narcotics were hidden inside a shipping container originating from Syria that had been falsely declared as a standard consignment of sheep’s wool.
Syrian National Nabbed Overstaying Visa
A Syrian national identified as Alabras Ahmad has been taken into custody in connection with the trafficking ring. Beyond the severe narcotics charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, investigators confirmed a blatant immigration violation. Ahmad entered India on a legitimate tourist visa on November 15, 2024. However, he failed to exit the country when his documentation expired on January 12, 2025, illegally overstaying in the capital for over a year to manage the syndicate’s logistics.
Understanding the Threat: What is Captagon?
Commonly dubbed the “Jihadi Drug” due to its notorious history of abuse in conflict zones, Captagon is the trade name for fenetylline—an addictive psychostimulant structurally linked to amphetamines.
Captagon triggers an extreme surge of energy, hyper-alertness, and euphoria while effectively numbing fear and sleep deprivation. While its illicit trade has historically ravaged West Asia, North Africa, and parts of Europe, its arrival on Indian shores marks a dangerous expansion of international smuggling corridors.
India’s drug control framework strictly regulates the production, possession, and transport of such psychotropic substances through the statutory power of the NDPS Act. The NCB is currently operating in close coordination with customs departments, maritime port authorities, and international intelligence agencies to trace the financial trails and broader global kingpins backing the syndicate.