The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) seizure of Captagon worth Rs 182 crore under “Operation RAGEPILL” has once again drawn global attention to the notorious synthetic stimulant often referred to in international security discourse as the “Jihadi Drug”.
But what exactly is Captagon, and why has it emerged as a major concern for law enforcement agencies worldwide?
Captagon is the street name historically associated with Fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant drug developed in the 1960s to treat attention disorders and narcolepsy. However, due to its highly addictive nature and growing abuse potential, the original pharmaceutical formulation was eventually banned internationally.
Today, most Captagon tablets found in illicit drug markets are illegally manufactured in clandestine laboratories and usually contain a dangerous mix of amphetamine, methamphetamine, caffeine, and other synthetic stimulants.
The drug is widely abused in parts of the Middle East and West Asia for its stimulant and euphoric effects. Security agencies and international investigators say Captagon consumption can induce heightened alertness, prolonged wakefulness, suppression of hunger and fatigue, temporary euphoria, increased aggression, and impaired judgment. Repeated use can also lead to psychological dependence and severe behavioral changes.
Why is it called the ‘Jihadi Drug’?
Captagon has frequently been described in global media and security narratives as the “Jihadi Drug” because of longstanding allegations and intelligence inputs linking its trafficking and abuse to extremist and conflict-zone networks operating in parts of West Asia. The term gained prominence amid reports that the stimulant effects of the drug allegedly enabled users to remain awake for long periods, suppress fear and exhaustion, and sustain prolonged combat-like activity under stressful conditions.
It earned its nickname “Jihadi drug" due to its heavy use by militant and extremist fighters who rely on it for prolonged wakefulness, battlefield courage, and a sense of invincibility.
Over the past decade, various international investigations and conflict-zone recoveries have reportedly found Captagon tablets among armed groups and organized trafficking syndicates in war-hit regions.
Investigators also believe the massive profits generated from Captagon trafficking have become a major source of illicit financing for organised criminal and extremist-linked networks in certain areas.
Global synthetic drug threat
Due to its relatively low-production cost and soaring illegal demand, Captagon is also referred to in some regions as the “Poor Man’s Cocaine”.
International anti-narcotics agencies have identified the Captagon trade as one of the fastest-growing synthetic drug threats in the Middle East.
The network often involves clandestine laboratories, diversion of precursor chemicals, hawala financing, forged trade documentation, maritime smuggling routes, courier chains, and sophisticated concealment methods. Indian agencies are now probing whether the consignment seized by the NCB was part of a larger transnational narco-trafficking network using India as a transit corridor for West Asian destinations. .
