India sees rise in seizures of psychotropic drugs

Key points

• On May 16, the Narcotics Control Bureau seized Captagon tablets, often called the “jihadi drug” or “poor man’s cocaine”, worth Rs 182 crore from Gujarat’s Mundra Port and Delhi under “Operation Ragepill”.
• The stimulant, widely linked to conflict zones in Syria and West Asia, is known for keeping users awake for long periods, suppressing fear, and boosting aggression.
• Crime Record Bureau data shows agencies are increasingly dealing with chemically manufactured stimulants such as methamphetamine, MDMA, and other psychotropic substances alongside conventional opium and cannabis-based narcotic drugs.
• Read Full Story The rise has been sharp in synthetic narcotics and other psychotropic substances — chemicals that affect the brain and alter a person’s mood, behaviour, perception, thinking, or consciousness by acting on the central nervous system.
• Psychotropic drugs are used medically to treat mental health conditions, but can also be abused for their effects and can lead to addiction and other health...