Italian authorities have dismantled one of the largest methamphetamine production labs in the country, reportedly created by a university student who was a fan of the iconic TV show Breaking Bad.
The 22-year-old man from Novara, in northern Italy, has been arrested and charged with illegal drug manufacturing, a crime in Italy that can result in a prison sentence of six to 20 years.
Police discovered the lab on March 21, finding a large table on the first floor set up as a “complex distillation workshop” lit only by dim red light. The table was equipped with flasks, glass tubes, and heat-resistant vials, closely resembling the setup seen in the Breaking Bad series, which follows a high school chemistry teacher who turns to manufacturing methamphetamine after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In the attic of the lab, authorities found additional drugs such as MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) and DMT, both powerful psychoactive substances. They also uncovered “hallucinogenic stamps” — small pieces of paper soaked with drugs like LSD.
The discovery has sparked both concern and intrigue due to its connection to a popular TV series.
