'Breaking Bad' drugs gang found guilty of conspiracy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33528029

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Eight members of a Breaking Bad-style drugs gang have been found guilty of conspiracy to supply the highly-addictive drug crystal meth.

During the trial at Bristol Crown Court, the case was likened to the American TV series which features a teacher dying from cancer who sets up a factory to supply the synthetic drug.

Gang leader George Rogers, 78, a cancer sufferer from Brislington, Bristol, masterminded the drugs plot.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

The court was told Rogers masterminded the plot while serving a prison sentence.

When he met up with fellow gang members Harish Chander, 48, of West Bromwich, and Garry Gooda, 46, of Shefford, he did not know police were monitoring him.

Det Insp Jim Taylor of Avon and Somerset Police said officers used covert filming and recording equipment during the surveillance operation.

'Extremely dangerous'

He said: "Crystal meth is fairly uncommon in this country.

"The production is extremely dangerous, it's volatile... and [the laboratories] prone to explode."

The jury heard the gang had obtained a kilo of cocaine and the £60,000 profits from its sale were to pay for the chemicals and equipment, with some to be imported from the Netherlands.

Needing someone to cook up the chemicals to make the drug, the gang recruited 61-year-old David Nash of Redcliffe, Bristol.

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.

Also convicted were Carl Thomas, 45 of Tredworth, Gloucester, Stephen Williams, 58, of Brislington, Bristol, Popinder Kandola, 55, of Walsall and Wojciech Kolodziejczyk 27, of West Bromwich.

All apart from Thomas remain in custody until sentencing, which will take place at Bristol Crown Court at a later date.