In what’s either a case of life-imitating-television or the most inventive pitch for a spin-off ever, a Chinese drug dealer is making headlines for drawing comparisons to the iconic television series Breaking Bad. A scientist and chemistry professor surnamed Zhang was convicted earlier this month of exporting $600,000 worth of drugs monthly to the United States and Europe. But the real-life drama of this professor and the hot water he’s currently in is far messier than anything a cable TV show can wrap up in 60 minutes.
The Pilot
The down-on-his-luck chemistry teacher was lured into the financially tempting world of making and selling drugs—sound familiar so far? While Zhang’s story immediately started drawing comparisons to AMC’s Bryan Cranston starring drama Breaking Bad, he shouldn’t be confused with the Montana man actually named Walter White who was arrested for selling nearly 33 pounds of meth back in 2013, or the other Chinese professor who turned to drug dealing to support his addiction.
Nevertheless, Zhang was dubbed the real-life Walter White when he made headlines last year after being arrested on drug-making charges. The 46-year-old associate professor at a major university in China’s Hubei province had quite the operation going on. Starting his company back in 2005 (which initially just produced medical coating and solvent), according to Police, Zhang was a visiting academic in Australia and discovered that “some psychoactive drugs were in heavy demand, but hard to find there. He [then]decided to make those drugs when he got back to China for profit.” He reportedly rented a Brooklyn apartment-sized production plant in an industrial park as his company headquarters. There he and his associates (I’m guessing the Asian version of Aaron Paul’s character Jesse Pinkman?) manufactured methylone (which is described as ecstasy’s more toxic cousin) and the brain-frying zombie drug Flakka. Using Bitcoin, Western Union and the good old fashioned snail-mail, Zhang was able to sell thousands of drugs internationally.
The Series Finale
The operation came to a grinding halt last summer when Zhang was arrested after customs officers found at least 10 internationally-bound packages which contained methylone. Zhang and two accomplices pleaded guilty to charges of selling, manufacturing and transporting illegal drugs. The plot twist? Zhang argued that they did it for research purposes only (probably like my own “research” of ecstasy that took place at warehouse dance parties from 1992-1994). Research aside, in December, Zhang and his associates were convicted of selling 32kg of illegal drugs, although prosecutors suspect the real quantity produced was at least 10 times that. In the ultimate sorry-no-sorry statement, before sentencing Zhang told reporters, “It is impossible to say that I do not regret [selling the drugs]as now I am living in a detention house.” Zhang will be sentenced at a later date which is bad news, as China has some notoriously tough laws on drug trafficking.
Future Pitches
While it looks like this latest Breaking Bad knockoff has been prematurely cancelled, as long as there’s a demand for drugs, dealers from all over the world will use technology, social media and good old fashioned crime to meet those demands. In the meantime, the news world has no shortage of weird, wacky and downright stupid drug dealers to serve as inspirations for the next big television hit. Like—how about an edgy HBO drama about the new school of drug dealers using Uber to help make their deals? Or a sitcom about the dumb-dumb drug dealer who keeps posting on Instagram and keeps getting busted? Or maybe a series about undercover drug cops who wear crazy outfits?
Hit me up, Hollywood. I’ve got a zillion ideas.
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