What is ‘jihadi drug’? NCB seizes ‘Captagon’ worth Rs 182 crore for first time, says Amit Shah

According to the post, the busted drug consignment was destined for the Middle East and one foreign national has also been arrested.

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…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 16, 2026

Shah asserted that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is hell bent on tracking down every gram of drugs entering India or leaving the country using our territory as the transit route. He also lauded NCB’s efforts.

What is Captagon aka ‘Jihadi Drug’?

Captagon is the brand name for Fenetylline, a synthetic stimulant that was originally developed in the 1960s to treat conditions such as ADHD, depression and narcolepsy. The drug was banned internationally in the 1980s after concerns over addiction and abuse, and was later placed under Schedule II of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

Over the years, Captagon gained bad reputation in West Asia, particularly during the Syrian civil war, where militant groups including ISIS were accused of using the stimulant to boost alertness, energy, endurance and reduce fear among fighters. This led to it being widely labelled the “Jihadi drug”.

Modern-day Captagon tablets are often illegally manufactured and may not contain the original Fenetylline formula. Many pills seized in recent years have contained amphetamine, caffeine or other psychoactive substances, while some reportedly had no stimulant ingredients at all.

The drug is considered highly addictive and has become a major source of illegal trafficking and funding in conflict-hit regions.