Stories
Retired Chemistry Professor Runs Cross-Border Drug Ring
M
Moneycontrol•12-10-2026, 15:26
Retired Chemistry Professor Runs Cross-Border Drug Ring
- •A retired chemistry professor in China masterminded a cross-border narcotics operation, drawing comparisons to the show Breaking Bad.
- •The professor used his scientific expertise to develop manufacturing processes and arranged lab spaces across five Chinese cities.
- •Precursor chemicals were produced in China and smuggled to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia to evade domestic legal scrutiny.
- •Chinese police dismantled the network in a two-year investigation, arresting 71 suspects and seizing massive amounts of drugs and equipment.
- •The mastermind allegedly earned five million yuan, equivalent to about Rs 7 crore, before being caught.
Key Questions Answered
The retired professor, identified as Wu, allegedly developed and refined the drug-manufacturing process, and arranged laboratory space in factories across five Chinese cities under the pretext of developing medicines before precursors were transported to Southeast Asia for final conversion into etomidate.
The investigation began in 2024 when police in Shandong province discovered that a pharmaceutical technology company had purchased unusually large quantities of six chemical ingredients used to manufacture the controlled substance etomidate.
Authorities dismantled seven bases across Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, resulting in the arrest of 71 people and the seizure of 73 kg of etomidate along with five tonnes of active ingredients.
