How Lotto winner hid £280m drug lab in his cottage

Pensioner John Spiby drove around in a battered white van and seemed to enjoy his retirement with the odd bit of gardening.

But in the triple garage behind his country cottage, the 80-year-old had secretly built up a lab for his £288m diazepam drugs empire.

The £2.4m lottery winner's stunned neighbours only discovered he was a drug lord when police raided the cottage on the outskirts of Wigan, Greater Manchester, in May 2022.

His neighbours have told the BBC how Spiby, who has just been jailed for 16 years, stayed under the radar for years.

One farmer said: "He drove around in a battered old van and just looked like a normal OAP rather than something out of Breaking Bad.

"However, we did see him with a red Lamborghini a few times which should have been a clue.

"In fact when the police raided his home, they also took away a Lotus and a Porsche as well that he had hidden in his garage along with the drugs equipment.

"There were rumours he'd dabbled in drugs before, but we all thought it was a bit of cannabis - nothing like this.

"We're all shocked."

The father-of-two is believed to have bought his red brick cottage, down a country lane in the Astley area of Wigan, shortly after his lottery windfall in 2010.

It is thought he used some of the jackpot to fund his illicit empire in an echo of hit Netflix series Breaking Bad, which featured chemistry teacher Walter White who made crystal meth drugs.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it found an "industrial‑scale tablet manufacturing set-up" at his cottage where the addictive tranquillisers were made.

Retired teacher Sue Jones said: "We were all stunned when we found out what he'd been up to.

"This is a quiet semi-road and you can't really see into any of the houses.

"No-one walks past you just see cars or lorries go back. It's ideal if you want to keep things hidden, which is obviously why he chose the place."

The 73-year-old added: "I'd chat to his wife sometimes when she was out walking the dog.

"They were always polite. He was a quiet neighbour who kept himself to himself but now we know why.

"We never saw any sign of wealth - once we did see him in a loud sports car but that was about it.

"However once he's been arrested, there were rumours that drug gangs had bought up land and farm houses around the back of his house."

Another neighbour, who did not want to give her name, said: "I was amazed when he was arrested.

"They seemed a nice couple. I know his daughter and son-in-law lived there too.

"He just seemed like a normal pensioner, not a gangster. You just never know with people.

"I was stunned when all the police turned up and took his luxury cars away."

GMP said the drug factory in his converted garages was capable of "producing tens of thousands" of counterfeit diazepam tablets per hour.

The lotto winner, along with his son and two associates, also set up a second drug factory in nearby Salford.

GMP said the gang was placed under surveillance. Officers swooped on a hired van and found 2.6 million fake diazepam pills with a street value of £5.2m.

Further police raids uncovered cash, three firearms and ammunition.

Detectives estimated that the gang produced counterfeit tablets worth up to £13m with a potential street value ranging from £58m to £288m.

Spiby was jailed at Bolton Crown Court for 16 years and six months for conspiracy to produce and supply the Class C drug.

He was also convicted of two counts of possessing a firearm, possession of ammunition, and perverting the course of justice.

His son, John Colin Spiby, 37, of Britannia Street, Salford, was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs.

The other two gang members were also locked up for more than 20 years.

Det Insp Alex Brown said Spiby's gang "showed absolutely no regard for human life" as they operated a "fully industrialised drug‑manufacturing business capable of producing millions of counterfeit tablets".

He added: "We will continue to pursue those who seek to profit from harm, and we will use every power and tool available to disrupt and dismantle serious organised crime gangs."

Back at Spiby's cottage, there was no answer when the BBC knocked to try and speak to his wife.

One neighbour said: "She still lives there with her daughter.

"But you don't see much of them - they are keeping a low profile after what happened."

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