The Chicago Police Department is investigating the unauthorized purchase of about $3,000 worth of a chemical in connection with questionable purchases made at Northwestern during the past year, a police official confirmed Monday.
Safrole, the chemical in question, is an ingredient used to manufacture MDMA, or Ecstasy, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Web site.
“It’s a fraud, a theft, that’s what we’re investigating,” said Chicago Police spokesman Patrick Camden.
University Police filed a deceptive practice report with Chicago Police on Nov. 7 for the unauthorized purchase and pick-up of $3,608.78 worth of safrole, Camden said. The order was placed Sept. 9, he said.
An e-mail sent to university faculty and staff Saturday stated that more than $13,000 worth of chemicals that can be used to produce illegal drugs have been ordered and delivered to NU facilities on both campuses during the past year.
The DEA issued a public advisory in May 2003 describing the increasing use of safrole to illegally manufacture Ecstasy. Distributors of safrole, a substance found in sassafras and camphor oils, must register with the DEA and report suspicious orders, according to the advisory.
“All businesses engaged in the sale of safrole and essential oils rich in safrole … should be aware of the use of these products by clandestine MDMA laboratory operators,” the DEA advisory stated.
Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug that affects the brain’s use of the chemical serotonin, which regulates levels of mood and aggression. Ecstasy, which has recently garnered media attention, is often called a “club drug” because of its popularity in such settings.
The unauthorized orders used a variety of tactics to get by the normal delivery approval process, according to the NU e-mail.
“Each of these orders was placed by phone and without a hard-copy purchase order for validation,” the e-mail stated. “The majority of these items were overnight, special delivery or drop-shipped items that were left on the floor outside of the labs. Some were even unwittingly signed for by adjoining labs.”
Randall Henry, a contracts administrator for purchasing in NU’s University Services department, told The Daily on Saturday that the chemical supplies under investigation never were paid for by NU.
Chicago Police have not named suspects in the case. The department’s jurisdiction only includes the Chicago Campus.
A UP official who works on the Evanston Campus declined to comment Monday about any investigation taking place into unauthorized delivery of chemicals. UP referred calls to University Relations, where a spokesman for NU also declined to comment.
“As I said, it is an ongoing investigation,” said Charles Loebbaka, NU’s director of media relations, on Monday.
In contrast to information printed in Saturday’s e-mail, the FBI is not involved with the case, said Special Agent Ross Rice, a spokesman for the Chicago Bureau of the FBI.
The e-mail also stated that the DEA was involved in the investigation. Officials at the DEA did not return repeated calls Monday inquiring about the department’s involvement.
