Captagon case: NCB arrests factory owner in Dehradun

Narcotics Control Bureau, under Operation RAGEPILL, has successfully unearthed an international drug syndicate involved in the trafficking of Captagon, leading to the seizure of approximately 227.7 Kgs of Captagon tablets/powder and the arrest of one overstaying Syrian national, who is a member of the syndicate, on May 17, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a factory owner in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun for allegedly allowing use of the facility for illicit manufacturing of Captagon tablets by the Syrian national held earlier in the case, according to agency sources.The accused has been identified as Sanjay Kumar.After the NCB arrested Syrian national Alabras Ahmad from his rented accommodation in Delhi’s Neb Sarai and seized over 227 kg of Captagon in tablet and powder forms, he was taken into custody.During interrogation, he purportedly disclosed that the tablets seized from his Neb Sarai premises had been manufactured illegally at Green Herbal, Dehradun, in November 2025 by him, along with another Syrian accomplice.The factory owner allegedly charged about Rs.50,000 per day for allowing use of the facility.Sophisticated machineryBased on the inputs, the agency raided the factory on Saturday (May 17, 2026) night and found sophisticated machinery, including tablet-making, granulation, capsule-filling, coating, sealing, and blister packaging machines, installed on the premises.It is alleged that the factory owner was previously involved in two separate drug-related cases of the Dehradun police and the NCB Delhi zonal unit related to the supply of tramadol and other NRx (prescription-only) tablets.Earlier, while about 31.5 kg of Captagon was found at the Syrian national’s residence in tablet form on May 11, over 196 kg of Captagon powder was seized from a container in the Container Facilitation Station (CFS) at Gujarat’s Mundra on May 14.According to the NCB, the container had been imported from Syria, with sheep wool as the declared consignment. Initial findings indicated that it was to be sent to West Asia, particularly Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring West Asian countries.“Preliminary investigation revealed that the Syrian national had entered India on a tourist visa on November 15, 2024, but his visa expired on January 12, 2025. He was illegally overstaying in India,” said the NCB. Published - May 17, 2026 10:20 pm IST