The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has initiated a nationwide mission—Operation WIPE (Web-based Illicit Activities Prevention & Enforcement)—targeting the rising menace of illegal sale and distribution of pharmaceutical drugs that are regulated under the law through digital platforms and social media.
According to a report in the Hindu, the agency has served notices to various platforms, instructing them to take immediate corrective steps.
Aim of Operation WIPE
While these drugs have legitimate medical uses, their diversion into the black market via digital storefronts has become a primary concern.
A key component of this operation is the collaboration with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) through its specialised SNOOP programme. This global initiative provides governments with critical data and technical support to detect and intercept the online trafficking of synthetic drugs and chemicals.
Leading business-to-business (B2B) platforms, including IndiaMART, TradeIndia, and Dial4Trade, have already removed several flagged products and suspended suspicious vendor accounts after internal verification.
NCB said its probe recently exposed how syndicates, including a call centre hub in Udupi, misused these mainstream commercial websites to list pharmaceutical drugs regulated under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances) Act, 1985, without legitimate documentation. In a major investigative breakthrough from last year, the new campaign follows the success of Operation MED-MAX in 2025. The trail began with a significant seizure of 3.7 kg Tramadol tablets in India. Working in tandem with international agencies, the NCB uncovered a massive network that utilised digital platforms to bypass traditional borders and distribute pharmaceutical drugs into global markets.
“Pharmaceutical drugs were listed online and supplied without legitimate documentation, with payments routed through cryptocurrencies and other channels,” NCB said.
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