Centre extends NCB chief Anurag Garg's tenure till July next year

The Centre has extended the tenure of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief Anurag Garg until July 31, 2027, beyond his initial end date of May 23, 2026.

The Centre has extended the tenure of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief Anurag Garg till July next year, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Garg, a 1993 batch Indian Police Service officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, was appointed Director General of the NCB in September 2024.

His tenure was to end on May 23 this year.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in Garg's deputation tenure as DG, NCB, beyond May 23, 2026, up to July 31, 2027, that is the date of his superannuation, said the order dated May 21.

The NCB recently busted several drug trafficking syndicates and made the country's first-ever seizure of Captagon, the so-called ''Jihadi Drug''.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 16 announced the busting of an international drug syndicate involved in the trafficking of Captagon with a seizure of 227 kg of the ''jihadi drug'' valued at Rs 182 crore.

Captagon is the street name historically linked to fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant developed in the 1960s, which earned the sobriquet of the ''jihadi drug'' due to repeated allegations and intelligence inputs linking its abuse and trafficking with extremist and conflict-zone networks operating in parts of West Asia, sources said.

The NCB last month also secured the return of notorious international drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Turkiye.