The father-of-two is believed to have bought his red brick cottage, down a country lane in the Astley area of Wigan, shortly after his lottery windfall in 2010.
It is thought he used some of the jackpot to fund his illicit empire in an echo of hit Netflix series Breaking Bad, which featured chemistry teacher Walter White who made crystal meth drugs.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it found an “industrial‑scale tablet manufacturing set-up” at his cottage where the addictive tranquillisers were made.
Retired teacher Sue Jones said: “We were all stunned when we found out what he’d been up to.
“This is a quiet semi-road and you can’t really see into any of the houses.
“No-one walks past you just see cars or lorries go back. It’s ideal if you want to keep things hidden, which is obviously why he chose the place.”