'Breaking Bad' In Rajasthan: 2 Teachers Make Drugs Worth Rs 15 Crore, Arrested

In a crime straight out of the American series 'Breaking Bad', a science teacher at a government school and a former physics teacher at a coaching centre have been arrested for manufacturing Mephedrone (4-Methylmethcathinone) drug worth Rs 15 crore in Rajasthan, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said.

MD is a synthetic stimulant drug in the cathinone family, which gives a feeling of euphoria immediately after consumption, but is addictive and continuous use causes severe psychological and health conditions.

Manoj Bhargav (25), a science teacher at Government Senior Secondary School in Muklawa in Gangasagar district and Indrajeet Vishnoi, who is also a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) aspirant, were arrested on charges of clandestinely running the manufacturing laboratory from their rented flat at Dream Homes Apartment in Riddhi-Siddhi Enclave in Sri Ganganagar area, for the last two-and-a-half-months. 

The duo, NCB Director (Jodhpur Zonal Unit) Ghanshyam Soni said, would source the chemicals and equipment from Delhi and take leave from their jobs to manufacture the MD drug.

In the last two-and-a-half-months, the duo made about five kilograms of MD drug, worth about 15 crore in the market. Of this, they sold 4.22 kg of drugs, Mr Soni said.

He said 780 grams of MD drug and modern equipment were seized during a raid from the flat. The cost of the seized drug is estimated to be Rs 2.34 crore. 

Besides, precursor chemicals like acetone, benzene, sodium hydrogen carbonate, bromine, methylamine, isopropyl alcohol, 4-methyl propiophenone and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone were seized, the official said.

The NCB raid is considered to be one of the largest on the drug syndicate in the state. Sources said efforts are on to trace the buyers and ascertain the involvement of more people in the crime.