The suspect, a 34-year-old man, was arrested on April 19, while Southern District Prosecutor Ülle Hõrak told Tartu Postimees (link in Estonian) that the incident was: "A clear example of how dangerous chemicals are used to make narcotics which can explode if mishandled." 

"It was fortunate that no one other than the suspect was injured as a result of the fire caused by the explosion and by fumes exuded by the burning chemicals," Hõrak went on, adding that suspect allegedly caused an explosion and subsequent fire while combining various chemicals in the pursuit of creating methamphetamine, in so doing endangering the lives and well-being of residents in the apartment block whose basement he was using.

Hõrak stated that based on evidence amassed, the suspect, who has multiple previous criminal convictions to his name and was placed under arrest based on a court's permission to do so, had been engaged in the activity on the night of April 16, in the cellar of an apartment building on Mõisavahe, in the Annelinn district of Tartu, and had been prepared to distribute the resulting product.

Methamphetamine – methamphetamine hydrochloride the well-known crystal meth variant – is a recreational stimulant, illegal in many jurisdictions and which can prove fatal in doses of more than around 200mg.

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