Two chemistry professors have been accused of making methamphetamine in the university where they work, in scenes reminiscent of TV show Breaking Bad.
Bradley Allen Rowland, 40, and Terry Bateman, 45, were both arrested and taken into police custody on Friday, according to a press release from the Clark County Sheriff's Department.
They were picked up by authorities and a narcotics task force.
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The press release stated: "Bateman and Rowland were the subject of an investigation originating with Henderson State University Chief of Police, Johnny Campbell."
Both men are associate professors at Henderson State University in Arkansas and were charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and using drug paraphernalia.
The research facility in the university closed on 8 October after reports of a chemical smell.
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Environmental health were called in and air filters were checked, with some windows being removed to ventilate the building. It was then reopened on 29 October.
As reported by The New York Times, lab tests found traces of Benzyl chloride. The chemical is often used to make meth - as well as other uses.
Tina V. Hall, a university associate vice president of marketing and communications, said that the two men went on administrative leave.
She said: "The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is a top priority, and we continue to cooperate with authorities."
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However, she did not confirm whether Rowland and Bateman were suspected of using university property to make meth.
In Rowland's profile on the school's news outlet, The Oracle, he was referred to as 'Henderson's Heisenberg' - a reference to the alias of Walter White, the cancer-stricken teacher who turns to making meth in Breaking Bad.
Speaking to The Oracle in 2014, he gave praise to the programme, saying: "I thought it was a great show. It was spot on and accurate when it came to the science, and it has gotten a younger, newer generation interested in chemistry. I feel like it was a wonderful recruiting tool."
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The pair are scheduled to appear at Clark County District Court once charges are formally agreed upon by the prosecutor.
The investigation is ongoing.
Featured Image Credit: Clark County Sheriff's DepartmentTopics: US News, Breaking Bad, Drugs