A terminally ill man who smuggled $60 million worth of methamphetamine into Adelaide in an attempt to provide for his family has been sentenced to more than 19 years in jail.

In a scenario strikingly similar to popular American hit show Breaking Bad, the District Court heard Adelaide man Anthony John Scott, 45, had been diagnosed with a terminal heart condition after suffering four heart attacks in 15 years.

The court heard the father-of-five pleaded guilty to importing more than 47 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and almost 1,400 pseudoephedrine tablets from Indonesia in December 2015.

Scott ran a business importing pavers and stone products and had attempted to smuggle the drugs into Australia in one of his shipments, with the drugs laced with pepper and hidden at the back of the container.

Judge Rauf Soulio said Scott's "deluded" plan was serious and the drugs could have caused great misery and suffering to many families.

"Methamphetamine is an insidious and dangerous drug," he said.

"The offending was designed to make money to assist your family.

"You were aware of the serious consequences of dealing with drugs in Asian countries."

Smuggler high at time of operation, court told

The court heard Scott was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the operation and felt unable to change the arrangements despite realising Australian Federal Police were tracking the shipment.

Yet Judge Soulio said Scott's siblings had described him as decent person and loving and caring father to his two children and three stepchildren who sacrificed his needs for the needs of others.

The court heard Scott has had a methamphetamine addiction for the past 20 years and had been diagnosed with stimulant-use disorder.

"Your use of methamphetamine has had a serious impact on your cardiac health," Judge Soulio said in sentencing.

"Perhaps ironically, your arrest has saved your life."

Scott has been given a non-parole period of 10 years and eight months.