Police bust Argentine 'Breaking Bad' ecstasy ring

Argentine police said Wednesday they had busted a drug ring whose affluent members made ecstasy for exclusive parties and drew their inspiration from "Breaking Bad" -- with one even wearing a T-shirt bearing the face of the central character in the hit TV series.
"It's an upper-middle class gang. They all drive imported cars and they devoted themselves to making this kind of drug to sell it exclusively at electronic music parties," said Security Secretary Sergio Berni.
Police arrested 13 people at an underground drug lab Tuesday and seized 30,000 pills of ecstasy, a synthetic drug popular at raves, as well as chemicals, mixing equipment, a tablet press and dye to color the pills.
Authorities also raided 20 other sites in and around Buenos Aires.
The gang, which operated in the capital's northern suburbs, organized private parties in "the wealthiest places in Buenos Aires and the surrounding area," said Berni.
When police raided the drug lab, one gang member was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Walter White, the chemistry teacher in "Breaking Bad" who turns to the murky world of making and dealing crystal meth after he is diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
Berni said the US series, which has won a string of awards, had an "unfortunate" influence on the gang.
"This is the consequence of these series. Some people buy into the characters and this is a clear example, one of them making (drugs) 'Breaking Bad'-style and dressing for the part with the T-shirt of the biochemist who works in the series," he said.