John Spiby, an 80-year-old man from Wigan, Greater Manchester, was sentenced to 16.5 years in prison after being convicted of running a drug trafficking organization that distributed millions of counterfeit diazepam pills.

Spiby won £2.4 million in the UK National Lottery in 2010 but chose to establish a drug operation rather than retire quietly.

Between 2020 and 2022, Spiby oversaw the production and distribution of counterfeit pills containing etizolam, a drug with far stronger sedative effects than diazepam.

The prosecution revealed that Spiby provided facilities and purchased machines worth thousands of pounds for the operation, which he denied knowledge of during the trial.

However, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to produce and supply drugs, possession of firearms and ammunition, and contempt of court.

Evidence presented in court indicated that the gang's operation was capable of generating profits estimated between £7.2 million and £12.9 million, with potential earnings of up to £288 million, according to experts.

The group initially produced drugs at Spiby’s farm near Tyldesley, Wigan, and later expanded to an industrial unit in Salford.

Police discovered the gang's sophisticated tablet production facilities and seized two handguns and ammunition from Spiby's residence.

The criminal enterprise was uncovered on April 2, 2022, when a drug shipment was ready for delivery to a hotel in Manchester.

Lee Drury, a gang member, was arrested while attempting to meet a driver, leading to the discovery of over 2.5 million pills valued at approximately £7 million wholesale and a potential market sale value of £67 million.

Spiby's son, 37-year-old John Colin Spiby, was also convicted for his role in the operation, receiving a 9-year prison sentence.

Other gang members received sentences ranging from 9 years and 9 months to 12 years.

In passing the sentence, Judge Nicholas Clarke noted Spiby’s significant involvement in the drug trafficking and stated that despite his lottery winnings, he continued a life of crime, highlighting a lengthy history of similar offenses post his lottery claim.