Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

Forget Breaking Bad, this is the extraordinary story of the 1970s Welsh LSD ring that supplied the world, told by a cop in deepest cover on the case.

 

'Life undercover was one great adrenaline rush fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol, hash, weed and some cocaine. I was off the leash.'

 

In the mid-1970s, at the age of 29, Stephen Bentley, a fresh-faced detective, turned himself into Steve Jackson, a dope-smoking, hard-drinking hippie. His time spent undercover with a gang making and distributing LSD helped bring down two criminal networks - but the operation also led to deep personal aftershocks felt long after the case closed.

As we get up-close-and-personal with the people who were the operators of the drug supply chain that fuelled 70s counter-culture, the story becomes laden with heavy drug-taking, blurred lines between cop, criminal and friend, and creeping doubts about who Steve really is. Taking us into the unlikely setting of the rural Welsh valleys and infiltrating the gang that was responsible for about 90% of the LSD production in the UK, Steve Bentley's insider account shows what it really takes to go undercover - to befriend, to betray and to bury your sense of self.

Now in development as an 8-part TV series.

 

'Undercover Operation Julie - The Inside Story, ' documents everyday life of undercover work as the author, Stephen Bentley, won the confidence of the gang members. Bentley tells in his book how he built a "perfect" relationship with Smiles, an important gang member. But this friendship almost undermined the whole operation.- BBC News England, October 2, 2016.

'The fascinating and extraordinary inside story from the man who was actually there.' - Rob Gittins, Screenwriter and Novelist, Writer of 'Julie' BBC Drama

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Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

Forget Breaking Bad, this is the extraordinary story of the 1970s Welsh LSD ring that supplied the world, told by a cop in deepest cover on the case.

 

'Life undercover was one great adrenaline rush fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol, hash, weed and some cocaine. I was off the leash.'

 

In the mid-1970s, at the age of 29, Stephen Bentley, a fresh-faced detective, turned himself into Steve Jackson, a dope-smoking, hard-drinking hippie. His time spent undercover with a gang making and distributing LSD helped bring down two criminal networks - but the operation also led to deep personal aftershocks felt long after the case closed.

As we get up-close-and-personal with the people who were the operators of the drug supply chain that fuelled 70s counter-culture, the story becomes laden with heavy drug-taking, blurred lines between cop, criminal and friend, and creeping doubts about who Steve really is. Taking us into the unlikely setting of the rural Welsh valleys and infiltrating the gang that was responsible for about 90% of the LSD production in the UK, Steve Bentley's insider account shows what it really takes to go undercover - to befriend, to betray and to bury your sense of self.

Now in development as an 8-part TV series.

 

'Undercover Operation Julie - The Inside Story, ' documents everyday life of undercover work as the author, Stephen Bentley, won the confidence of the gang members. Bentley tells in his book how he built a "perfect" relationship with Smiles, an important gang member. But this friendship almost undermined the whole operation.- BBC News England, October 2, 2016.

'The fascinating and extraordinary inside story from the man who was actually there.' - Rob Gittins, Screenwriter and Novelist, Writer of 'Julie' BBC Drama

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Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

by Stephen Bentley
Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story

by Stephen Bentley

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Overview

Forget Breaking Bad, this is the extraordinary story of the 1970s Welsh LSD ring that supplied the world, told by a cop in deepest cover on the case.

 

'Life undercover was one great adrenaline rush fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol, hash, weed and some cocaine. I was off the leash.'

 

In the mid-1970s, at the age of 29, Stephen Bentley, a fresh-faced detective, turned himself into Steve Jackson, a dope-smoking, hard-drinking hippie. His time spent undercover with a gang making and distributing LSD helped bring down two criminal networks - but the operation also led to deep personal aftershocks felt long after the case closed.

As we get up-close-and-personal with the people who were the operators of the drug supply chain that fuelled 70s counter-culture, the story becomes laden with heavy drug-taking, blurred lines between cop, criminal and friend, and creeping doubts about who Steve really is. Taking us into the unlikely setting of the rural Welsh valleys and infiltrating the gang that was responsible for about 90% of the LSD production in the UK, Steve Bentley's insider account shows what it really takes to go undercover - to befriend, to betray and to bury your sense of self.

Now in development as an 8-part TV series.

 

'Undercover Operation Julie - The Inside Story, ' documents everyday life of undercover work as the author, Stephen Bentley, won the confidence of the gang members. Bentley tells in his book how he built a "perfect" relationship with Smiles, an important gang member. But this friendship almost undermined the whole operation.- BBC News England, October 2, 2016.

'The fascinating and extraordinary inside story from the man who was actually there.' - Rob Gittins, Screenwriter and Novelist, Writer of 'Julie' BBC Drama


Product Details

BN ID: 2940154917121
Publisher: Hendry Publishing
Publication date: 07/18/2017
Sold by: Draft2Digital
Format: eBook
File size: 871 KB

About the Author

Stephen Bentley is a former British police Detective Sergeant, pioneering Operation Julie undercover detective, and barrister. He now writes in the true crime and crime fiction genres and contributes occasionally to Huffington Post UK on undercover policing, and mental health issues.

He is possibly best known for his bestselling Operation Julie memoir and as co-author of Operation George: A Gripping True Crime Story of an Audacious Undercover Sting.

Stephen is a member of the UK's Society of Authors and the Crime Writers' Association. His website may be found at www.stephenbentley.info where you may subscribe to his newsletter.

Stephen also writes crime fiction in the Undercover Legends series as part of a writing team under the pen name of David Le Courageux.

You can listen to Stephen talking about his Operation Julie undercover days on the BBC Radio 4 Life Changing programme/podcast.

Table of Contents

WHAT WAS OPERATION JULIE? 1

WHO AM I? 5 LSD CULTURE 23 BABY DETECTIVE 31 FAST LEARNER 41 Life-Changing Phone Call 54 DEVIZES AND THE PHONEY WAR 57 Plas Llysyn 61 ERIC AND UNDERCOVER PREPARATIONS 73 LLANDDEWI BREFI 89 SMILES 97 BLUE 105 STONED 115 MOVIE STARS ROCKSTARS 123 INTERNAL POLITICS 131 ARE YOU GUYS COPS? 137 Gangsters and A Death Threat 140 THE GUN 157 IDIOT! 167 STEVE AND ERIC - DEALERS 181 DOUG 191 CHILLUM 201 CHRISTMAS 1976 209 NEW YEAR 221 COP KILLER 232 NO WAY A LAB AT SEYMOUR ROAD 241 The Bust 247 OLD ACQUAINTANCES 253 Smiles and I Meet in the Cell 258 Doug Again 260 RECALL PAPERS 265 124 YEARS' JAIL 275 FIFTEEN PINTS 287 CHIEF'S COMMENDATION 297 HOUSE ARREST 307 RESIGNATION 315 UNFINISHED BUSINESS 323 LESSONS LEARNED 337 Future of Undercover Policing 346 DUPLICITY 353 SMILES REVISITED 361 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 367 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 369 AFTERWORD 371 BIBLIOGRAPHY 373

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