The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has, for the first time, confiscated a consignment of Captagon tablets worth around Rs 182 crore, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.
In a message posted on X, Shah termed Captagon a 'jihadi drug' and said a foreign national had been arrested after the consignment, reportedly intended for the Middle East, was intercepted as part of Operation Ragepill. Captagon contains fenetylline and amphetamine, which are psychotropic substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
“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 Rs 182 crore,” Shah posted on X.
Authorities confiscated approximately 227.7 kg of Captagon tablets and powder and detained a Syrian national, who is believed to be part of the syndicate and was illegally staying in India.
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What Is 'Jihadi Drug'?
Fenetylline, commonly known as Captagon, was initially created in the 1960s as a pharmaceutical treatment for conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression and narcolepsy. International authorities banned the substance in the 1980s owing to concerns surrounding addiction, later placing it under Schedule II of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
In many cases, today's Captagon pills no longer reflect the original fenetylline composition. Testing of confiscated batches in recent years has shown the presence of substances such as amphetamine and caffeine.
The stimulant earned widespread notoriety in West Asia over the years, particularly amid the Syrian civil war, where militant organisations such as ISIS were said to have used it to enhance endurance, alertness and combat readiness while suppressing fear. This association saw Captagon acquire the label of the “Jihadi drug”.
Over the last ten years, several global investigations and recoveries from war zones have suggested that Captagon was widely circulated among militant outfits and smuggling syndicates operating in conflict regions. The lucrative trade in the stimulant has reportedly emerged as a key channel of illicit financing for criminal cartels and extremist networks.
Owing to its relatively cheap manufacturing cost and soaring illegal demand, Captagon has earned the nickname “Poor Man's Cocaine” in several regions.
Enforcement bodies across the world have identified Captagon trafficking as a growing synthetic drug menace in the Middle East, involving underground production facilities, illegal movement of precursor chemicals, hawala funding systems, forged commercial paperwork, shipping routes and highly sophisticated smuggling mechanisms.
Official manufacturing of the substance came to an end in the 1980s. However, clandestine production has continued ever since and has expanded significantly across Europe and the Middle East over the past few years.
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