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NCB Launches Operation WIPE to Target Illegal Online Sales of NDPS Drugs

The move shifts India’s drug policing toward early, tech-led removal of illegal listings on mainstream websites.

Overview

  • The Narcotics Control Bureau launched Operation WIPE on April 26, 2026 to stop the misuse of websites for selling pharmaceutical drugs regulated under the NDPS Act.
  • An initial sweep flagged 122 instances across 62 substances, including clonazepam, diazepam and fentanyl, with 58 covered by the NDPS Act and four listed as controlled substances.
  • After formal notices from the agency, IndiaMART, TradeIndia and Dial4Trade removed flagged listings and suspended suspected vendors following their own checks.
  • NCB teams are monitoring the surface web using tools and intelligence from the INCB’s SNOOP program to spot and remove new illicit posts before orders turn into shipments.
  • The approach builds on July 2025’s Operation MED-MAX, which exposed a network using a Udupi call center, crypto and PayPal payments, and international re-shippers, and the public can report suspicious listings to the MANAS helpline at 1933.