Netflix is ​​staging drug gang drama “Legends” by author Neil Forsyth

Netflix has greenlit a new British drama from “The Gold” showrunner Neil Forsyth, based on the jaw-dropping true story of a group of customs officers who undercover infiltrated some of Britain’s most dangerous drug gangs.

The six-part series, titled “Legends,” follows a thrilling crime investigation based on Forsyth’s extensive research and interviews with those involved.

“In the early 1990s, at the height of the international war on drugs, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the government agency responsible for Britain's borders, realised it was losing the battle against drug smuggling. Their solution was extraordinary,” the logline reads. “As part of a top-secret operation, a small team of British customs officers were deployed undercover. Their task – to infiltrate Britain's most dangerous drug gangs.”

“They were not trained spies and had no experience of undercover work. They were ordinary men and women, plucked from ordinary backgrounds across Britain and given basic training before building new identities for themselves in the criminal underworld. These identities were called legends.

Forsyth's production company Tannadice Pictures will produce the project. Forsyth will serve as executive producer alongside Ben Farrell (“The Gold”) and Lion Television's Richard Bradley. Charlie Leech (“The Gold”) is a producer.

“I'm delighted to be able to tell this incredible story with everyone at Tannadice Pictures,” said Forsyth. “I think 'Legends' is a fascinating, gripping, untold British story that deserves to be told in full. I'm delighted that Netflix has agreed.”

Mona Qureshi, Director of UK Content at Netflix, added: “As such fans of Neil's 'The Gold', we were immediately excited at the prospect of experiencing the extraordinary story of Legends in his hands. Neil's scripts take us back to 1990s Britain, when the government was losing its battle in the global war on drugs. They introduce us to a compelling cast of characters whose unexpected journeys into the dangerous labyrinth of undercover operations promise a gripping, action-packed series in the finest tradition of British crime stories. We can't wait for 'Legends' to come to life on Netflix.”