An 80-year-old British man who won the National Lottery more than a decade ago was sentenced to 16 years in prison after authorities uncovered an industrial-scale counterfeit drug operation he ran from a cottage behind his home, police announced Wednesday.

John Eric Spiby was convicted alongside his son, John Colin Spiby, 37, who received a nine-year sentence. Investigators said the operation produced counterfeit pills with an estimated street value ranging from $80 million to $400 million.

According to Greater Manchester Police, Spiby used part of his 2010 lottery winnings, approximately £2.4 million, or about $3.3 million, to finance a sophisticated pill-manufacturing setup capable of producing tens of thousands of tablets per hour. The lab was concealed by frosted windows and operated between November 2021 and May 2022.

The group manufactured fake diazepam tablets, commonly known as Valium, laced with etizolam, a powerful sedative banned in the United States. Authorities warned the substance can cause severe respiratory depression, unconsciousness, and death in high doses.

Police also said the operation was tied to firearms trafficking, involving weapons such as AK-47s, an Uzi, Tec-9s, silencers, and ammunition. Officers intercepted the group in April 2022, seizing 2.6 million counterfeit pills from a vehicle, followed by additional raids that uncovered drugs, weapons, cash, and industrial machinery.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC noted during sentencing that Spiby continued his criminal activities well past retirement age despite his financial windfall. Two additional accomplices received sentences of 12 and nine years, respectively.

Detectives said the case highlighted the group’s complete disregard for public safety, describing the operation as a fully industrialized drug enterprise driven solely by profit.