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‘Breaking Bad’ in Bharuch: Pharma firm employee sets up ‘MD drug lab’ in rented flat

74.88 grams of MD worth around Rs 2.24 lakh as well as a stash of raw materials used to make the MD drugs and apparatus were seized from "live laboratory"

3 min readVadodaraUpdated: Feb 15, 2026 09:10 AM IST

On Friday night, the Bharuch SOG, acting on a tip off, raided Rahuliya's rented apartment. (Express Photo)

The plot was right out of a series like ‘Breaking Bad’. A chemist in a pharmaceutical company set up a laboratory in the bathroom of his rented apartment in Ankleshwar GIDC in Bharuch district, experimenting with “easily available” raw materials to manufacture MD drugs. Just as he found “success” two failed experiments later, the Bharuch Special Operations Group (SOG) swooped down on him, before he could become ‘Heisenberg’ (the main character in ‘Breaking Bad’) .

Anil Rahuliya, a production manager for the last seven years at a pharma company, had set up the synthetic drug manufacturing laboratory in the bathroom of his house about seven months ago.

On Friday night, the Bharuch SOG, acting on a tip off, raided Rahuliya’s rented apartment. Almost 74.88 grams of MD worth around Rs 2.24 lakh as well as a stash of raw materials used to make the MD drugs and the apparatus were seized from the “live laboratory”.

“He had been experimenting with making MD drugs for the last seven months with the help of Google. Two of his experiments failed. Now, in his third attempt, he managed to make about 80 grams of MD drugs and was looking for clients. That is how we received a tip off,” SOG Police Inspector A V Panamiya told The Indian Express.

Almost 74.88 grams of MD worth around Rs 2.24 lakh as well as a stash of raw materials used to make the MD drugs and the apparatus were seized from the “live laboratory”. (Express Photo)

Police officers said that Rahuliya was a BSc Chemistry graduate and was working as a production manager in a pharma company for the last seven years so he has a lot of knowledge about the drugs. “He used the Internet to find out how to make MD drugs and then he procured raw materials and pharmaceutical apparatus from Bharuch GIDC. He could do this as the raw materials or the equipment are not prohibited,” an officer said.

Interestingly, Rahuliya lived in the rented apartment with his family, including a toddler. Police said that the family was “unaware” that the accused was manufacturing contraband. Rahuliya was handed over to the Ankleshwar police station and produced before a magistrate, who sent him to police custody.

Aditi Raja

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More

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