New Delhi, April 27: In a significant move to tackle the rising threat of online drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has initiated ‘Operation W.I.P.E’ (Web-based Illegal Activities Prevention and Enforcement). An official reported that 122 cases of violations have been identified.
The operation aims to curb the illegal sale and distribution of regulated pharmaceutical drugs through online platforms under the NDPS Act.
Under this initiative, the NCB has identified 122 cases involving 62 substances, including commonly abused drugs like clonazepam, diazepam, and fentanyl. Of these, 58 substances fall under the NDPS Act, while four are classified as ‘controlled substances.’
The NCB has issued formal notices to the relevant online platforms, instructing them to take immediate action to prevent the misuse of their services. A comprehensive list of regulated substances under the NDPS Act has also been shared to facilitate early identification and removal of such listings.
The NCB stated, “Following investigations, platforms like India Mart, TradeIndia, and Dial4India have taken corrective measures, including removing flagged products and suspending suspicious sellers.”
The official statement added that NCB’s technical teams are continuously monitoring the ‘surface web’ using advanced tools and international intelligence inputs to identify emerging threats and ensure timely interventions.
The NCB emphasized that Operation W.I.P.E signifies a strategic shift from ‘reactive action’ to ‘proactive prevention.’ This approach aims to detect illegal listings and remove them before they evolve into trafficking operations, thereby enhancing India’s capability to combat active drug networks in both physical and digital domains.
This initiative builds on the success of the previous major operation, ‘Operation MED-MAX,’ conducted in July 2025. In that operation, the NCB, with assistance from the US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), AFP (Australian Federal Police), and other foreign drug law enforcement agencies, dismantled a highly sophisticated international drug trafficking syndicate active in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia.
Operation W.I.P.E was based on inputs jointly developed by the US DEA and NCB India. The investigation, which began with the seizure of 3.7 kilograms of tramadol tablets in India, uncovered an organized network that misused digital platforms to conduct its illegal activities.
The NCB further revealed, “The investigation found that this syndicate operated a call center in Udupi, Karnataka, through which orders were received worldwide via a major online B2B platform. Regulated pharmaceutical drugs under the NDPS Act were listed online, and customers were supplied with drugs directly without any valid documentation.”
Payments were made through cryptocurrencies, PayPal, and other remittance channels, while international reshippers were used for last-mile delivery. Coordinated efforts with global partners resulted in multiple arrests, identification of the kingpin based in the UAE, and enforcement actions abroad, including seizures and destruction of clandestine locations.
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