14 DAY TRIAL // A UK chemistry teacher was jailed after translating into reality the plot of the popular TV show Breaking Bad by planning to produce a huge amount of almost pure amphetamine and flood Britain’s drug market with it.
Ryszard Jakubczyk, 61, planned an ambitious operation to cook 88lbs (nearly 40kg) of amphetamine every two days in a secret laboratory in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Detectives who caught Jakubczyk and investigated the case dubbed him a real-life Walter White, as they found a lot of similarities with the fictitious chemistry teacher who uses his expertise to produce pure crystal meth.
They said the man, who is from Poland, produced an almost 80 percent pure version of amphetamine. The stimulant drug, which induces effects of euphoria, alertness, and increased energy, was among the highest-grade ever uncovered in the UK.
“It was as if they had used the plot of ‘Breaking Bad’ to come up with the whole idea. You’d expect to see ‘pure’ amphetamine at 40-50 per cent – but this was 78 per cent. It would have made them millions,” lead investigator Dave Archer said, according to Yahoo News.
However, Jakubczyk – also known as “the Professor” – didn't manage to fulfill his ambitious plan of producing £4 million ($6.6/€4.8 million) worth of amphetamine every 48 hours, as National Crime Agency officers put him under heavy surveillance after receiving a tip in August 2012.
Daily Mail informs us that the man was planning to reach his goal with the help of several accomplices: Piotr Turek, 35, Ernest Skorupa, 36, and Ewa Lyzwa-Cias, 60. The Polish gang's lab was hidden in the garden of Jakubczyk's house, and police also discovered an underground bunker where they were storing dangerous chemicals.
The authorities swooped only after the group produced a first test batch in the lab.
“This chemistry lecturer was going to use all of his skills to produce amphetamine on an industrial scale. We were able to shut down their operation and deny them access to huge profits,” investigator Archer added.
Jakubczyk was found guilty of conspiracies to produce and supply amphetamine and was jailed for nine years at Leeds Crown Court, while Piotr Turek, from Ireland, who planned to distribute the drug across the UK, Ireland, and Poland, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Their other accomplices were handed sentences of between seven and five years.
Methamphetamine is a Class A drug and is known for being extremely powerful and addictive.