Jacob Madathil was arrested when the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided his laboratory at Hatkesh Udyog Nagar in Mira Road on August 21.
For most of his life, Jacob Madathil, 58, was content teaching chemistry. He later dabbled with trading in medicines, but suffered huge losses.
Post-retirement, when the lure of money got the better of him, the Mira Road resident established contacts with the drug mafia in Central and South America and set up a laboratory to make methamphetamine — one of the most sought-after drugs — three months ago.
Madathil was arrested when the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided his laboratory at Hatkesh Udyog Nagar in Mira Road on August 21.
“A teacher by profession, Madathil later traded in ayurvedic medicines to cure diseases like diabetes. He travelled to countries like Surinam in South America for the same,” said Yashodhan Wange, zonal director of NCB, Maharashtra and Goa.
“He suffered heavy losses in the medicine business and wanted to recover the money. So he got into this illegal business.”
His wife is a teacher in Sharjah and his children, who live in Mumbai, hold senior positions in their respective professions.
NCB officials said Madathil’s interactions in South America with people involved in the smuggling of drugs gave him the idea of manufacturing methamphetamine.
“Madathil discussed the idea of making methamphetamine in India and smuggling it to clients in South and Central America with a person named Oscar from Surinam. We’ve seized a contraband from him which was to be delivered in Honduras,” Wange said. Luis Carlos, a Columbian national who assisted Madathil in communicating with clients, had met him during a business trip.
A senior NCB officer said, “The chemical synthesisation was done at the laboratory by Chinese experts who came to India last month. They left after the product was made.
The experts were hired by Oscar.” NCB officials are now in touch with Chinese authorities to nab the experts.
The drug, worth Rs12 crore, would have fetched 10 times the amount had it reached America and Europe.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}