- Reverend set up his own drug lab for crystal meth.
"Breaking Bad" is one of the major TV successes of the 2000s: A high school chemistry teacher from Albuquerque, facing financial difficulties due to his cancer diagnosis, decides to use his skills to produce synthetic drugs. Some believers in the Lower Austrian town of Gmund, near the Czech Republic border, are reminded of the series, not with a teacher as the main character, but their Catholic priest. As confirmed by the St. Pölten Provincial Police Directorate, the 38-year-old priest was taken into custody after producing one of the most dangerous drugs for resale: Crystal Meth.
Crystal Meth is one of the most dangerous drugs
The Romanesque parish church of Gmund is dedicated to Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who is said to be invoked against "possession" and headaches. However, Father Radoslaw P., who has been active here since 2022, has had the opposite effect. The methamphetamine he attempted to produce in the parish premises, known as "meth", "crystal", or "ice", is considered one of the most devastating drugs of our time.
The addictive substance has spread rapidly in recent years due to its ease of production. Labs in Eastern Europe produce the drug from readily available precursors, such as pseudoephedrine, a component of many cough medicines. It is the drug that can be "cooked" in private homes with some chemical knowledge.
How Radoslaw P., sent to Lower Austria's Waldviertel by the Archdiocese of Warsaw, got onto the wrong path remains uncertain. P. had previously been active in another parish for a year and was praised for his good German skills and excellent work with altar servers. According to reporters from an Austrian newspaper, the priest was popular, known for his witty, modern sermons and for listening to loud pop music in his car. On an older website, he describes himself as "passionate about sciences like physics and astronomy" - now apparently also chemistry.
The operation in Austria backfired
His profile on the X platform (formerly Twitter) shows the clergyman differently than the images with the young people from the Catholic youth group, wearing a hoodie and standing in the dark street of a big city. However, the substance intended to be produced in the rectory never made it to the streets. According to the Lower Austrian police spokesman, the priest confessed to working with his alleged accomplice, a 30-year-old Iraqi from Vienna, on the production of the drug. The would-be drug barons had not yet completed their production, which was still in the experimental stage.
The priest has been "immediately relieved of his duties in the St. Pölten Diocese," the diocese said. His Archdiocese of Warsaw announced further steps. Both suspects are currently in custody, as it was clear that they intended to use the seized laboratory equipment and drug precursors for large-scale drug production. The motives are unknown. In July, the priest bid farewell to his congregation - and entered a "stationary therapy in the hospital," which would last longer than initially expected. He will likely miss the parish festival on August 24. All parties involved are presumed innocent.
The discovery of a drug lab in the parish premises of Gmund, operated by Father Radoslaw P., has caused widespread shock. The intended production of Crystal Meth, a highly dangerous and addictive substance, would have contributed to the spread of this devastating drug.
