A university pharmaceutical science professor has found himself rolling in some hot water after it came to light that he instructed his students to produce the main chemical ingredient in the street drug ecstasy, MDMA, while in class without a proper license or permission from the prefectural government or the university.
A tip-off from an un-named participant led to an investigation by drug enforcement officers at the Health Ministry’s Regional Bureau, which led them to the home and lab of Professor Tatsunori Iwamura for search and seizure measures.
Sources claim that once asked about his involvement with the accusations, he fully admitted to the allegations and claimed to do it “to help his students learn”.
According to the narcotics control law, the researcher(s) must follow strict guidelines and obtain a license issued by the governing body which hosts the lab for narcotics to be created for academic research.
At the time, Professor Iwamura did have a license to produce chemicals for academic research, however, the license was issued by a prefecture other that the governing body of Ehime and was expired at the time the drugs were being created by the students in the class.
Reports from the Japan Times state that Iwamura was doing research on chemicals that are deemed dangerous drugs in Japan, more specifically, substances that can cause hallucinations or have stimulant effects. It was recently discovered that in 2013 at the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Matsuyama University is where the occurrence with the students happened.
Once aware of the situation, the Regional Drug Enforcement Agency sent investigative papers on some of the former students that were involved in the MDMA production while in class, as well as Professor Iwamura.
During the searches of the professor’s laboratory and office, there was no trace of MDMA discovered, but there was another un-named drug discovered in his equipment. The investigation is still intact, and no punishment has accrued at this time, yet it seems as if legal action is not far off for those involved.
The university publicly announced their apologies to the students and parents for the incident and made it known that they would be sure to install preventative measures in order to prevent anything of the sort happening again in the future on the university grounds. University President, Tatsuya Mizogami, ensured that “disciplinary action would be taken against Iwamura in accordance with the outcome of the investigation”.
