A pill that will keep you awake for 72 hours. Make hunger and thirst disappear as if they are not a need of the body. Eliminate fear completely and fill inside with a strange aggressive confidence. It sounds like a super-soldier’s medicine, but this is the real danger. Its name is Captagon i.e. Phenethylline. Its identity in the underworld is ‘Jihadi drug.’

Captagon: a drug that became a ‘monster’

Captagon did not begin as a terrorist plot, but as a medical miracle. It was in the 1960s when German scientists developed a synthetic stimulant named phenethylline. The aim was very clear and noble – this medicine was proving to be effective in treating children who are excessively playful and mischievous (which is now called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder i.e. ADHD) or those who are suffering from narcolepsy (disease of sudden sleep during the day) and depression. In the initial days, it became very popular in Europe and America and remained dominant in the market for some time, but soon its side effects started appearing.

Patients started complaining of severe visual hallucinations (seeing things that don’t exist), psychosis (loss of mental balance), heart attacks and seizures. The result was that by the 1980s, most countries of the world banned it. America had put it in the list of Schedule-1 drug (the most dangerous category) in 1981 itself. In some European countries, limited medical use was allowed until 2013, but after that it became completely illegal. Now it is produced illegally only in secret laboratories in Syria, Lebanon and Southern Europe. In countries like Saudi Arabia, this has become such a big problem that 80% of the seizures in the entire region happen there alone.

This drug is often associated with extremist groups and fighters involved in violent conflicts, which is why it is commonly called a ‘jihadi drug’.

Bullets and hawala game are raining from the sky

Captagon’s method of smuggling is no less interesting. While earlier human couriers and drones were used on the borders, now smugglers have found a new and very cheap method – Airborne Balloon System. These balloons can cross the border carrying large quantities of drugs. This is the reason that after Assad’s rule, smuggling attempts have reduced to one-third, but the success rate has increased from 25% to 57%.

Apart from this, private financial networks like Hawala and fake trade documents are effectively used to run this entire game. Investigative agencies suspect that a large part of the income from this drug trade goes to fund terrorist activities.

‘Bullet’ worth Rs 182 crore seized from Delhi and Mundra

Now this medicine has also reached the borders of India. In May 2026, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized the first big consignment of this drug under ‘Operation Respill’, whose value in the international market was estimated at Rs 182 crore. A total of 227.7 kg Captagon tablets and powder were seized. If we consider such a huge quantity, lakhs of bullets could have been made from it.

This whole matter came to light when on May 11, 2026, the NCB team raided a house in Neb Sarai area of ​​Delhi. 31.5 kg Captagon pills were recovered from there, which were cleverly hidden in a commercial chapatti making machine. It was to be sent to Jeddah city of Saudi Arabia. After this, what was revealed during the interrogation shocked everyone. On the behest of arrested Syrian national Alabras Ahmed, 196.2 kg Captagon powder was recovered from a container at Mundra Port in Gujarat. This powder was brought hidden under the guise of sheep’s wool imported from Syria.

‘Cocaine of the poor’ and black market currency

After this action, Home Minister Amit Shah wrote on social media, ‘Modi government is committed to drug-free India. We will crack down on every gram drug that enters the Indian border or uses our land as a transit route. But the story of this drug is not limited to just one big recovery.

Captagon is also called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ in the underworld, because it is very cheap to make, but once one gets addicted to it, its effect on the body and mind is no less than that of cocaine. In a way, it has become a black market currency in the war-torn areas of Western Asia.

What effect does this ‘Jihadi drug’ have on the body?

When a person swallows this pill, it attacks the brain within minutes:

• In the initial effect, heart beat increases, blood pressure becomes high and body temperature increases.
• A person feels as if he is filled with unlimited energy.
• All traces of sleep and fatigue disappear and there is a strange feeling of confidence and happiness in the mind.
• This is the ‘Khumari’ for which the fighters take it so that they can fight without stopping, without fear and with complete ruthlessness.
• Consuming it for a long time makes the body hollow from inside.
• After this comes the crash i.e. severe depression, lethargy, insomnia, severe damage to blood and nerves.

NCB’s biggest victory so far and its next battle

This action of NCB is a big victory for India, because it has exposed a new and very dangerous trend. Investigation also revealed that the arrested Syrian citizen was also connected to a secret lab in Dehradun, where this drug was being manufactured. To run this lab, a person from Saharanpur, Sanjay Kumar, had given his factory on rent for Rs 50,000 per day. More than 2 lakh pills were made here in just 14 days. This is the first case when manufacturing of this drug has been caught in India.

The danger is not over yet, NCB is searching for another Syrian citizen who is an important role in this network. Security agencies are worried that India may become just a transit point. The way it runs drug war and terror economy, its entry into India can become a big challenge for the internal security of the country.

Operation med max: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has succeeded in capturing the large international drug syndicate. NCB named this operation Operation-Med Max. This network used to supply illegal medicines in 4 continents Asia, Europe, America and Australia using new technology, crypto currency and international drop shipping.

This action of NCB is considered to be the biggest red against an international network. In this, agencies from many countries of India as well as America, Australia and Europe worked together. On 25 May 2025, the NCB team stopped and checked a car near Mandi House in Delhi. Two boys sitting in the car were b. Pharma from a private university in Noida. 3.7 kg tramadol tablets were found from them, which is considered a kind of controlled medicine.

Used to sell medicines in America, Europe and Australia
During interrogation, it was revealed that these people used to sell medicines in America, Europe and Australia by creating their profiles on an Indian B2B website. A stockist of his network was in Roorkee, then a partner was caught from Mayur Vihar. Through this, the investigation reached the person sitting in Udupi in Karnataka, who managed a big order to be sent to the USA. The NCB came to know about 50 international consignments, in which 29 packages were sent from the US, 18 packages were sent inside Australia and 1-1 package Estonia, Spain and Switzerland were also sent.

NCB helped Interpol
NCB gave this information to America, Australia and Interpol. After this, the Dea (Drug Enforcement Administration) in the state of Alabama, US, caught a big re-shower named Joel Hall. More than 17 thousand tablets and several crypto wallets were recovered from him. Along with this, an Indian-American person has been charged in the US on charges of money laundering. Investigation revealed that a fake drug factory related to this network was running in Australia. The Australian police has also closed that unit.

This entire network took full advantage of technology. These people used to talk only on encrypted apps like Telegram. Crypto currency, PayPal and Western Union were used for payment. Investigation revealed that logistics and packing work was being handled by two more youths from Delhi and Jaipur. These people never sent medicines to India, supplied only in outside countries so that they would not be caught.

The mastermind of this entire syndicate is sitting in UAE
According to NCB, the mastermind of this entire syndicate is sitting in the UAE, who was running the entire network. From taking orders to payment and supply. He attracted buyers by becoming a premium vendor on the B2B website and made a call center in Udupi, in which 10 people worked. After receiving the order, payment was taken in the crypto. Money was sent to the supplier and Shipar by cutting from payment.

NCB investigation continues
According to NCB, 8 people have been arrested so far. Crypto wallets, hawala channels and digital transactions are under investigation. NCB has alerted many private websites and platforms, which are promoting the sale of online fake medicines. Officials say that the investigation of the case is still going on.

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Interpol Silver Notice CBI: The CBI has registered India’s first case in Interpol through the new platform silver notice of Interpol. Silver notice is an international alert system. Due to which agencies of different countries can share information about the properties of criminals. Its aim is to identify and take action on hidden properties, bank accounts, vehicles and business of criminals worldwide.

The silver notice is currently being run in 51 countries as a pilot project. Which will continue till November 2025. During this time every country can issue 9 silver notice. CBI, ED and NCB have sent some cases to Interpol from India.

The first case is related to property in visa fraud and Dubai

India’s first case is related to Shubham’s visa fraud and property in Dubai. The CBI issued India’s first silver notice on 23 May 2025 through Interpol against Shubham Shubham. Shubham was earlier a visa officer at a foreign embassy and he frauded a visa between September 2019 and May 2022. He used to take a bribe of 15 lakh to 45 lakh rupees from every application in exchange for getting visas. With this money, he bought 6 property worth about Rs 15.73 crore in Dubai. Earlier, the CBI had also issued a blue notice for him so that it could be found.

The second case is related to the Crypto Carncy Scam

India’s second case is related to Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal’s fake crypto currency scam. The CBI has issued another silver notice on 26 May 2025, which was done on the request of the ED. This notice is against Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal. Which launched fake crypto currency named MTC. He took an investment of about Rs 113 crore from the people. But this currency is not valid in India and he did not even take any permission from the government or RBI for this. Later he ran away with all the money and cheated people by calling himself a representative of the Finance Ministry. A red notice has already been issued against him.

Interpol alert is silver notice

According to the CBI, the silver notice will make it easier to find, confiscate and bring back the property hidden in these cases.

It is noteworthy that the silver notice is an interpol alert, which is especially designed to gather and share information related to crime. In this, other countries can ask for information related to the property of criminals, such as flat, bungalow, car, bank account, shares and business. Later, on the basis of this information, the process of seasing or seizure of the property can be started.