Asger Risom
Italian police dismantle one of the country’s largest clandestine drug labs, linking it to a 22-year-old chemistry enthusiast
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Italian authorities have shut down what they describe as one of the largest illegal methamphetamine labs in the country, operated by a 22-year-old student inspired by the hit TV series Breaking Bad. The arrest was announced on Friday, following a raid in the northern city of Novara last week.
The young man, whose name has not been made public, reportedly idolized the show’s protagonist, Walter White—a high school chemistry teacher turned meth cook—and attempted to recreate a similar setup at home. According to police, the student was charged with drug manufacturing, a crime in Italy punishable by six to twenty years in prison.
During the March 21 raid, officers discovered a sophisticated lab on the ground floor of the property. The room was dimly lit by red lights and equipped with professional-grade distillation equipment, including glass beakers, tubing, and heat-resistant flasks. Police described the setup as a “complex distillation workshop.”
Upstairs, authorities found a second room used for synthesizing a variety of chemical compounds. In addition to methamphetamine, investigators uncovered materials for producing MDMA, DMT, and hallucinogenic blotter tabs laced with substances like LSD.
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As reported by HotNews.ro, the young man appeared to be experimenting with a range of synthetic drugs, raising concerns about the lab’s potential scale and distribution capacity.
The case has drawn comparisons to the American drama series, which has become a cultural phenomenon and even inspired academic interest in chemistry. However, Italian authorities warned that mimicking fiction can lead to real-world consequences.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing, with efforts underway to determine whether the student had any accomplices or distribution network. For now, his transformation from student to alleged meth cook has ended with handcuffs, not a Hollywood finale.
