New Delhi: Narcotics Control Bureau busted an international drug trafficking network under Operation RAGEPILL and seized 227.7 kg of Captagon tablets and powder worth ₹182 crore. The agency also arrested a Syrian national accused of operating as part of the syndicate.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated NCB officials and described the seizure as India’s first-ever Captagon bust. He said the Modi government would maintain zero tolerance against narcotics trafficking and prevent India from being used as a transit route.
The NCB launched the operation after receiving intelligence inputs from a foreign drug enforcement agency. Officials identified a rented house in Neb Sarai, New Delhi, and conducted a search on May 11.
Investigators recovered 31.5 kg of Captagon tablets hidden inside a commercial chapati-cutting machine. Preliminary findings suggested the consignment was meant for export to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Officials found that the accused Syrian national had entered India on a tourist visa in November 2024. However, his visa expired in January 2025, and investigators alleged that he continued staying in India illegally.
Operation RAGEPILL uncovers Gulf drug route
Further questioning of the accused led NCB teams to Mundra in Gujarat. Officials searched a container at a Container Facilitation Station on May 14 and recovered 196.2 kg of Captagon powder.
The container arrived from Syria and carried sheep wool as the declared cargo. Investigators later discovered three concealed bags containing the psychotropic substance.
NCB officials said the syndicate planned to transship the consignment to Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Middle East nations. Authorities noted that Captagon abuse had emerged as a major law enforcement concern in the region.
The agency said the operation exposed attempts by international syndicates to misuse India as a transit hub for synthetic drugs. Officials also linked the case to growing misuse of commercial cargo routes by transnational narcotics networks.
NCB launched a wider investigation into hawala links, logistics chains, procurement sources and foreign receivers connected to the syndicate. The agency said it would continue working with international partners to dismantle cross-border drug cartels.
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.
The busting of the drug consignment destined for the Middle East and…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 16, 2026
