Operation RAGEPILL: Unmasking the 'Jihadi Drug' Captagon Trafficking Ring

In a significant victory against international synthetic drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled a major operation involving the smuggling of Captagon tablets. Dubbed Operation RAGEPILL, the effort led to the seizure of 227.7 kilograms of the illicit drug and the arrest of a Syrian national overstaying his visa in India.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Captagon, which includes Fenetylline and Amphetamine as its main components, is classified as a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act. Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the operation's success, highlighting it as proof of the government's zero-tolerance drug policy. He emphasized the bust's significance as India's first-ever seizure of the dangerous 'Jihadi Drug' destined for the Middle East.

The operation commenced after a tip-off from a foreign drug enforcement agency about India's implication in the trafficking route. This led to a raid at a house in New Delhi's Neb Sarai, finding 31.5 kilograms of Captagon concealed within a chapati cutting machine targeted for export. Further investigations uncovered an additional 196.2 kilograms hidden in a shipping container at the Mundra port.

(With inputs from agencies.)