Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the Narcotics Control Bureau has seized the first quantity of Captagon tablets worth $182 crore, which he described as “jihadist drugs.” Shah said on the X program that a foreign national had been arrested and the shipment was allegedly on its way West Asia, intercepted as part of Operation Ragepil.
The drugs were seized from Mundra and Nab Sarai port in Delhi. The Syrian citizen had hidden it in a box of tea leaves. People familiar with the matter said the shipment arrived at Mundra port in a container declared to be a wool shipment.
Share details about X, and The Home Minister said, “The Modi government is determined for a ‘drug-free India’. I am happy to announce that through ‘Operation RAGEPILL’, our agencies have seized the first ever Captagon, or the so-called ‘jihadi drug’, worth Rs. $182 Crores. The seizure of a drug shipment bound for the Middle East and the arrest of a foreign national stand out as shining examples of our commitment to zero tolerance for drugs. I repeat that we will clamp down on every gram of drugs entering India or leaving the country using our territory as a transit route. Kudos to the brave and vigilant NCB warriors.
The National Central Bank is likely to issue a detailed statement on this issue.
What is jihadi medicine?
Captagon is a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant that is highly addictive. It has gained the nickname “jihadi drug” because militant groups (such as ISIS) have abused it to provide fighters with increased energy and stamina and a reduced sense of fear in battle. It is also known as “poor man’s cocaine.”
The agencies are investigating the alleged terrorist links of the Syrian national who was working from Delhi and sending drugs to West Asia.
An officer familiar with the matter said: “The seizure was made from Delhi and Mundra port. About 200 kg of Captagon came from Syria and was sent to Saudi Arabia. The investigation is ongoing.”
$Rs 11,311 crore was seized in 19 seizures
Over the past few years, multiple agencies have seized large shipments of drugs and other prohibited items at ports across the country. Drugs are worth it $Rs 11,311 crore was seized from seaports in 19 major drug busts between 2020 and 2024, according to Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai’s reply to a Parliament question on March 18, 2025.
India has at least 200 major and minor ports, although only about 65 of them are currently engaged in shipping operations. At present, 13 major ports are under the cover of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the force is expected to soon take charge of security at 67 more ports. To enhance port security and curb smuggling activities, the Center is establishing a new federal agency – the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) – modeled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
The proposed BoPS will ensure that ports are adequately protected, monitored by either CISF personnel or force-trained personnel, and maintain security standards similar to those at airports. Across the ports, the CISF will primarily oversee cargo screening, access control and other important security operations.
Salim Dula was arrested
In another major achievement, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently succeeded in securing the return of notorious international drug trafficker Mehmet Salim Dula from Türkiye.
Dula, 58, was arrested by the Turkish intelligence agency and Beylikduzu police in Istanbul on April 25 after inputs from Indian agencies and based on the Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by Interpol against him.
An earlier HT report quoted the Ministry of Home Affairs as saying in a statement: “The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in close coordination with international and Indian intelligence agencies, has secured the return of wanted drug lord Muhammad Salim Dula from Turkey, under Operation Global-Hunt. He was detained on his arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi, early this morning by the NCB.”
Dula, who fled to the UAE from India nearly eight years ago, has remained trapped in Turkey for the past two years after coming to Istanbul on vacation in early 2024, officials familiar with the matter said.
An official who requested anonymity said: “While he was vacationing in Turkey, the Red Corner Notice (Interpol) was issued in 2024. His family including his son managed to leave the country and return to the UAE but he was trapped. He was living alone in different places in Turkey to avoid arrest.” “After his son was deported from the UAE last year, he stopped communicating with his aides and family members to avoid arrest.”
He was wanted in several drug trafficking cases in India and was on the run from law enforcement agencies. They added that over the years, Dula established a major transnational drug trafficking ring in a number of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Emphasizing zero tolerance against the drug syndicate, the Union Home Minister said on the
“Now, no matter where they hide, there is no safe place for drug gang leaders,” Shah said.
He was detained on arrival at New Delhi’s IGI Airport early this morning by the NCB. The federal Drug Enforcement Agency also briefly questioned him. A city court in Mumbai has sent him to the custody of the NCB until May 8.
