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Internal Security May 16, 2026 5 min read Daily brief · #2 of 20

Operation RAGEPILL: NCB Busts a Major International Drug Trafficking Network; Makes India’s First-Ever Seizure of Captagon, a Psychotropic Substance used in the Middle East Region

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), acting on intelligence from a foreign drug law enforcement agency, dismantled an international drug trafficking network i...

GS Paper 3 (Internal Security Organised Crime Drug Trafficking)

What Happened

  • The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), acting on intelligence from a foreign drug law enforcement agency, dismantled an international drug trafficking network in an operation codenamed RAGEPILL — India's first-ever seizure of Captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant.
  • Approximately 227.7 kg of Captagon tablets and powder were seized, with an estimated illicit international market value of ₹182 crore in Gulf and Middle East destination markets.
  • One Syrian national, who had overstayed his tourist visa, was arrested; he had rented accommodation in Neb Sarai, New Delhi, and had entered India on November 15, 2024, with his visa having expired on January 12, 2025.
  • The operation uncovered a transnational smuggling chain: tablets concealed in a chapati-cutting machine at a Delhi house were linked to a larger consignment of 196.2 kg of Captagon powder hidden inside wool bags within a container at Mundra Port (Container Freight Station), Gujarat — the consignment imported from Syria under the cover of sheep wool.
  • Preliminary investigation indicates the consignment was intended for onward export to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, establishing India's use as a transit corridor in Middle East-bound Captagon trafficking networks.

Static Topic Bridges

What is Captagon?

Captagon is the brand name originally associated with fenethylline (also spelled phenethylline), a synthetic compound belonging to the phenethylamine and amphetamine family. It was first synthesised by the German pharmaceutical company Degussa AG in 1961 as a milder alternative to amphetamine for treating attention deficit disorders and narcolepsy.

  • Chemically, fenethylline is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline — when metabolised in the body, it releases both amphetamine and theophylline simultaneously.
  • The original pharmaceutical Captagon was internationally banned in 1986, when fenethylline was placed in Schedule II of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971.
  • Modern illicit "Captagon" tablets are predominantly amphetamine sulphate pressed with caffeine, theophylline, paracetamol, lidocaine, and other fillers — they are embossed to resemble the original pharmaceutical brand but contain no fenethylline.
  • Effects: prolonged wakefulness, suppression of hunger and fatigue, euphoria, and a false sense of invincibility — making it popular among combatants in conflict zones, earning it the informal label "jihadi drug."

Connection to this news: India's seizure marks the first time this West Asia-dominant synthetic stimulant has appeared in Indian territory, signalling that transnational trafficking networks are diversifying transit routes through South Asia.

Syria's Role in Global Captagon Production

Following the collapse of effective governance during the Syrian civil war, Syria became the world's dominant producer of illicit Captagon.

  • By 2023, UK foreign ministry estimates placed Syria's share of global Captagon production at approximately 80%.
  • During the Assad regime, Captagon smuggling reportedly became Syria's largest single export by value — exceeding all other combined exports in certain years.
  • The chemical synthesis is low-cost and scalable, making industrial-scale production viable in low-governance environments.
  • Primary destination markets: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, and broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — with estimated annual regional market value of $5–10 billion.
  • Following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, trafficking networks have been actively seeking new transit routes and production hubs, including potentially through South and Southeast Asia.

Connection to this news: The Syrian national arrested in Delhi is a direct link to the networks historically embedded in Syrian-based Captagon production and export infrastructure; India's emergence as a transit country reflects the post-Assad disruption and redirection of these networks.

The NCB is India's apex drug law enforcement agency, established under Section 4(3) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

  • NDPS Act, 1985: The primary legislation governing drug-related offences in India. It classifies controlled substances into narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Captagon/amphetamine is classified as a psychotropic substance under the Act.
  • NCB coordinates with state police, customs, and foreign drug law enforcement agencies for intelligence-sharing and joint operations.
  • NCB's mandate also covers implementation of India's obligations under international drug control conventions: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
  • Penalties under NDPS Act for commercial-quantity psychotropic substances: rigorous imprisonment of 10 to 20 years and fine of ₹1–2 lakh.

Connection to this news: The NCB invoked its authority under the NDPS Act to search the premises, seize the substances, and arrest the accused. The case also demonstrates NCB's expanding role in tackling transnational synthetic drug trafficking, beyond traditional heroin and cannabis cases.

Transnational Organised Crime and India's Transit Vulnerability

India's extensive maritime coastline (~7,500 km), 12 major and 200+ minor ports, and position between West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia make it attractive as a transit territory for transnational drug networks.

  • Mundra Port (Gujarat) has previously featured in major drug trafficking cases, including a 2021 seizure of ~3,000 kg of heroin concealed in talcum powder consignments from Afghanistan.
  • The use of legitimate trade cover (sheep wool consignment) to conceal controlled substances is a well-documented trafficking technique known as containerised concealment.
  • Intelligence-sharing with foreign drug law enforcement agencies — in this case, the tipping-off of NCB — is a key tool under mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between NCB and its counterpart agencies.

Connection to this news: The Mundra Port seizure highlights the systemic vulnerability of India's import-export container ecosystem to being exploited as a transshipment node; it also underscores the importance of international law enforcement cooperation in detecting novel synthetic drugs before they establish domestic consumer markets.

Key Facts & Data

  • Total Captagon seized: 227.7 kg (31.5 kg from Delhi; 196.2 kg from Mundra Port, Gujarat)
  • Estimated illicit market value: ~₹182 crore
  • Arrested: one Syrian national (overstaying tourist visa; entered India November 15, 2024)
  • Operation name: RAGEPILL
  • Investigating agency: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
  • India first classification: first-ever seizure of Captagon on Indian soil
  • Captagon banned internationally: 1986 (UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 — Schedule II)
  • NDPS Act enacted: 1985
  • NCB established under: Section 4(3), NDPS Act, 1985
  • Syria's share of global illicit Captagon production (2023 estimate): ~80%
  • Concealment method: commercial chapati-cutting machine (Delhi); wool bags in shipping container (Mundra)
  • Intended destination: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
On this page
  1. What Happened
  2. Static Topic Bridges
  3. What is Captagon?
  4. Syria's Role in Global Captagon Production
  5. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) — Mandate and Legal Framework
  6. Transnational Organised Crime and India's Transit Vulnerability
  7. Key Facts & Data
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