Four More Men Accused in 'Breaking Bad-Style' Meth Lab Operation

Four men have been ordered to appear in court in connection with an alleged "Breaking Bad-style" methamphetamine laboratory operation in Warwickshire. The arrests bring the total number of accused individuals to nine, following the earlier arraignment of five Mexican nationals.

Kenneth Burton, Paul Harkness Mawby, and Anthony Devine, all 34, along with 36-year-old Mohammed Khan, were arrested on Thursday by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA). Burton, Mawby, and Devine, who hail from County Durham and Stockton-on-Tees, are scheduled to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court. Khan, from Birmingham, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

These four arrests follow an earlier court appearance on September 10, where five Mexican men pleaded not guilty to charges related to a conspiracy to produce methamphetamine, a Class-A drug. The alleged activity took place between February and August of this year on a farm near the hamlet of Furnace End in Warwickshire.

The five Mexican nationals charged are Alejandro Ambriz Dimas, 45, from Michoacan; Victor Ramirez, 47, Fausto Beltran, 33, Lioncio Moso Borja, 37, and Jose Nunez Angolo, 44. All except Dimas are reportedly from the Sinaloa region. Their legal representatives have stated that the men were in the UK for legitimate work as chefs and builders on the farm and deny involvement in drug production.

NCA officers, in conjunction with Warwickshire Police and other emergency services, raided the farm where the Mexican nationals were residing. The investigation centers on an alleged crime group operating the clandestine laboratory. A police photograph released from the scene shows a basement containing gas canisters, large plastic tubs, and containers connected by metal tubing.

The five Mexican defendants remain in custody. Their trial is anticipated to last one month and is expected to commence in February 2027.