Massachusetts: Biotechnology Firm Director ‘Accidentally’ Buys Ricin Ingredient, Researches Poisons

It was all an accident, you see. Dr. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem wanted to plant some castor beans in his apartment to liven up the place and went onto the Internet to order a packet. But inadvertently, entirely by accident, he insists, he ordered one hundred packets, that is, eight hundred castor beans instead of eight. Castor beans can be used to make ricin. Then, no doubt by accident again, Saeem researched how to make poisons that could be made and could not be tasted.

The Justice Department reported that Saeem, who is “the director of advanced research at a Massachusetts biotechnology firm,” pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and last Thursday was sentenced “in federal court in Boston for obstructing an investigation into his efforts to acquire the deadly toxin, ricin.” The government wanted him to serve a year in prison, but Saeem got off far more easily: he was sentenced to three years of probation, during six months of which he will be held in “home confinement.” Saeem was also fined $5,500.

Saaem, the Justice Department noted, is “a Bangladeshi national residing in Massachusetts” who has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. He “became interested in acquiring ricin from castor beans as well as convallatoxin, a poison found in lily of the valley plants, after watching ‘Breaking Bad,’ a popular television show. Saaem ordered 100 packets of castor beans online, each containing eight seeds. Saaem falsely told law enforcement agents that he purchased castor beans for planting at his apartment for decoration and that he had accidentally purchased 100 packets instead of one. After he spoke to agents, Saaem researched tasteless poisons that could be made at home.” Really, who among us hasn’t accidentally bought poison ingredients and researched poisons?- READ MORE