A Symonds Yat man planned to set up a factory making illegal drugs worth £140 million, a court heard.

Andrew John Bellew, 31, downloaded instructions from the Internet on how to manufacture Ecstasy, the jury at Newport Crown Court was told. He had been filmed by police buying tablet-making machines from a Manchester firm and tried to purchase five tonnes of 'camper' oil from a firm in Hampshire.

Stephen Hopkins QC, prosecuting, said that if he had been successful, the oil could have been used to make 14 million Ecstasy tablets which, when sold at £10 to £15 each, would have netted Bellew and his accomplices at least £140 million.

Bellew is accused of conspiracy to produce amphetamines and Ecstasy and intent to supply amphetamines. He is jointly charged with three Newport men: Brian James, 37, of Bettws Centre; Alfred Jordan, 51, of Broadmead Park; and Anthony Holwel, 39, of Maesglas Crescent. The four, who deny all charges, were under police surveillance throughout the period in question.

Mr Hopkins said police discovered drug-making instructions when they searched Bellew's Symonds Yat home.

They also found that he had used the Internet to set up an untraceable Post Office box number and had downloaded details on opening untraceable bank accounts.

Using various names and chemical company titles, he had contacted numerous suppliers to buy the ingredients he needed, Mr Hopkins explained. Chemicals were sent to the PO box number in Hereford, which Bellew had set up using the alias Paul Bright.

The court also heard that a man named Robert Marley travelled from Manchester to a caf in Symonds Yat. He was seen leaving his vehicle and entering the caf before returning to his car and driving to a garage nearby.

The jury were shown footage of Bellew and James entering P&B Laboratories in Liverpool Road, Irlam, Manchester.

Bellew and two other men were captured loading what Detective Ian Martin, of Merseyside Crime Squad, described as a 'pill machine' into a blue van.

Detective Raymond Parry, from the National Crime Squad, based in Liverpool, revealed how, in October 1997, he liaised with customs and excise officers in Felixstowe. Using special dye he marked three tablet-making machines bound for commercial premises in Liverpool Road, Manchester.

The trial continues.