Real-life Breaking Bad? Meet the 77-year-old man who ran drug empire worth over Rs 600 crores for more than 10 years

In a shocking incident, a 77-year-old terminally ill newsagent has been unmasked as the mastermind behind a £52 million cocaine empire, drawing comparison to the TV series Breaking Bad.

According to the Daily Mail, Michael Williamson secretly led a drug trafficking network that distributed over half a tonne of Class A drugs over a decade. His double life came to light in 2019 when police carried out raids at his Salford residence and his newsagent shop in Poynton, Cheshire, leading to his arrest.


The report noted that during a police raid, officers uncovered £137,000 worth of cocaine, £33,000 in cash, and detailed records listing names, drug deals, and outstanding debts.

Michael Williamson, who had no earlier criminal history and lived a solitary life, was convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton Crown Court. Due to his terminal illness, Williamson was never sentenced and passed away earlier this month.



According to the report, his descent into the criminal underworld has drawn comparison to the hit US series Breaking Bad, where the main character, Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with cancer, turns to meth production.

Judge Clarke, commenting in Williamson's absence, described him as being at the 'very heart' of the drug conspiracy.



A source told The Sun that there were striking parallels between Williamson and Breaking Bad, saying, “On the surface, he appeared to be just a shopkeeper, but behind the scenes, he was dealing a very different kind of powder than the lemon sherbets on his shelves.”

The investigation into the drug network also led to the convictions of three other individuals. Payden Candland, a former rugby league player aged 33, was sentenced to 19 years and nine months in prison.

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