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Tamil Nadu: Engineering, chemistry students run meth lab from home in Chennai, arrested
A meth lab was allegedly being run by engineering and chemistry graduates in Chennai, busted by cops on Wednesday.
Seven students in Chennai were arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police for running a methamphetamine laboratory inside one of their homes, reported The Times of India. Four of these were robotics engineering graduates and one was pursuing MSc in chemistry. The incident took place in the Kodugaiyur area of Chennai, the report added.
The police knocked on the door of the alleged meth lab on Wednesday, and the parents of the student said the peers were working on academic research. Upon investigation, police found out that the seven were cooking meth inside one of the rooms of the house. The accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The police reportedly raided the house in Kodugaiyur after a tip-off. The police also suspect that apart from the seven accused, others could be involved in this case.
The Anti-Drug Intelligence Unit (ADIU) of Chennai raided the meth lab and seized 250 gm of methamphetamine, two mobile phones, a chemical weighing machine, jars, laboratory equipment, test tubes, pipettes, burettes, raw chemicals stored in glass jars and other apparatus.
Read more: 400 kg drugs seized from Gujarat factory week after massive cocaine bust in Delhi
The police suspect that these students were supplying meth to a larger criminal syndicate, and are currently investigating the matter. The accused in the case have been identified as Fleming Francis, 21; Naveen, 22; Pravin Pranav, 21: Kishore, 21; Gnanapandian, 22; Arunkumar, 22; and Dhanush, 23.
Praveen, Kishore, Naveen and Dhanush had recently graduated with a degree in robotics engineering, while Gnanapandian is currently pursuing MSc in Chemistry. The other two accused are their associates, said the police.
The newly-formed ADIU team is currently tracking the spread of synthetic drugs in the city. A police officer told TOI, “We are investigating how long they have been in operation. While Gnanapandian has knowledge of chemistry, the others procuredchemicals and apparatus from pharmaceutical firms and online portals.”
