In a bizzare case which looked like an episode of the iconic show 'Breaking Bad', a chemistry student was reportedly hired by a local drug syndicate in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to manufacture meth. However, the group's plan was foiled after the Chennai police busted their operations and arrested seven people. The group had been producing the highly addictive drug in a secret laboratory which they had set up in the city.
The arrested men include five engineering graduates and a postgraduate Chemistry student studying at a prestigious college in Chennai. He had also been awarded a gold medal in his Bachelor of Science course at another institution, NDTV reported.
The young graduates began drug peddling by selling small quantities of methamphetamine, which they procured from a man named Arun Kumar. He also has an assault case registered against him. But, the group didn't stop at just drug peddling, they instead decided to get into its manufacturing when the idea of struck them. It was at this point that they brought the chemistry student into the picture. Subsequently, they then procured the chemicals required for the drug manufacturing.
One of those arrested student had taken money from his parents, telling them that he needed the sum for opening a cafe. "His parents had borrowed money to help him, thinking he was aspiring to start a business," NDTV quoted a police officer as saying.
The police raided the group's laboratory after busting them, and recovered 245 grams of methamphetamine, 7 mobile phones, and 2 laptops from them. Following this, a probe was initiated which led to the arrest of the seven men. Police are now searching for two more men, Arun Kumar and Karthik, who are susepected to be involved in the drug peddling.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, as part of the ongoing campaign against narcotics, urged young people to stay away from drugs.