A Breaking Bad-style crystal meth gang masterminded by a 78-year-old battling cancer - just like in the hit TV series - has been jailed for more than 80 years.
George Rogers, 78, from Bristol ran the plot from prison despite his illness and recruited a self-taught chemist to set up a lab and make the highly addictive drug crystal meth.
He formed a UK-wide team who obtained a kilo of cocaine and planned to sell it for £60,000 so they could buy chemicals and equipment from the Netherlands needed to manufacture the drugs.
The case has been compared to US TV show Breaking Bad where high school chemistry teacher Walter White starts making crystal meth to raise money after he is diagnosed with lung cancer.
But unlike the fictional version, the real-life plot was busted before they could start work after undercover police bugged their cars.
Nine members of the gang - which also planned to make 20,000 ecstasy pills an hour - have now been jailed following a three-month long trial at Bristol Crown Court.
The trial heard Rogers, from Brislington, started the plot from behind bars.
He was convicted of conspiracy to produce MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine, amphetamine and conspiracy to supply cocaine and was jailed for 18 years.
After his release he met fellow gang members Harish Chander, 48, from West Bromwich, and Garry Gooda, 46, from Shefford, Bedfordshire, and had no idea police were monitoring him.
The gang recruited self-taught chemist David Nash, 61, from Redcliffe, Bristol to cook the chemicals.
Police said he then drove the project, sourcing the required chemicals from the continent and setting up sophisticated laboratory equipment.
But before he could start work police arrested the gang on the M5 near Bristol and seized the cocaine.
Rogers, Chander, Gooda and Nash were all found guilty of conspiring to supply class A drugs.
Karl Thomas, 44, from Tredworth, Gloucester, Steven Williams, 58, from Brislington, Popinder Kandola, 55, from Walsall, West Midlands, and Wojciech Kolodziejczyk, 27, from West Bromwich were also convicted.
Crystal methamphetamine is popular in America but fairly uncommon in the UK and Rogers saw a potential market in the South West.
It is an amphetamine derivative, which is powerful and a highly addictive Class A drug.
The ambitious plan involved the production of around 20,000 ecstasy pills an hour.
The police closed down the operation because of the risk of explosion posed by manufacturing the highly volatile crystal meth.
Detective Inspector Jim Taylor, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'The whole operation had striking similarities to the popular American crime drama series Breaking Bad, which featured a struggling high school chemistry teacher as the main character.
'He had been diagnosed with lung cancer and turned to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine in order to secure his family's financial future before he died.
'Rogers was an elderly career criminal, reputedly with poor health, who was looking to set up a drugs empire in the South West, taking advantage of those with a drugs problem.
'His intention to introduce a new but highly addictive drug in the South West could have had a significant impact on our communities.
'In areas where methamphetamine is a problem, there is clear evidence of a rise in acquisitive crimes such as burglaries and robberies.
'These crimes affect people's quality of life and increase fear of personal safety.'
