What is ‘jihadi drug’? NCB seizes captagon worth Rs 182 crore

NEW DELHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized Captagon, also known as the “jihadi drug,” worth Rs 182 crore as part of Operation Ragepill. Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared the information on X while congratulating the NCB team.

'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 the arrest of a foreign national stand out as shining examples of our commitment to zero tolerance against drugs. I repeat, we will clamp down on every gram of drugs entering India or leaving the country using our territory as the transit route. Kudos to the brave and vigilant warriors of the NCB,' Amit Shah wrote on X.

Captagon is the brand name for fenethylline, a stimulant drug developed in the 1960s. It was initially used to treat disorders such as attention deficit disorder. However, due to its highly addictive nature and widespread misuse, the drug was later banned internationally.

The drug came to be known as a “jihadi drug” because intelligence reports linked its trafficking and use to networks operating in conflict zones and extremist groups. Due to its relatively low production cost, it is also sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s cocaine.”