In this final instalment of Paul Maleary's podcast, host Paul (a former Essex Police interviewer with 30 years of service handling major crimes like murder and extortion) This episode features guest Steve, who recounts high-stakes, international undercover operations and reflections on policing.

• Operation Hole: Steve details a temporary secondment where he teamed up with Johnny "Monkey" to run a joint operation targeting major smuggling rings, using a veneer business as a front with a 20-tonne truck load.

• The Journey to Spain: The operation involved navigating treacherous logistics across France and into Spain, featuring mechanical failures, tight border deadlines, navigating low-hanging tree branches in Madrid suburbs, and encounters with local law enforcement.

• Surreal Encounters: While lost in the docks of Valencia late at night trying to find directions, Steve and his team inadvertently walked into a transvestite bar full of bearded men in women's clothing.

• Drug Busts and Surveillance: The operation successfully culminated in tracking down and transporting massive quantities of cannabis and resin (hashish) from Southern Spain back to the UK alongside international customs task forces.

• Medical Retirement and Pension: Steve reflects on the severe psychological toll and stress of undercover work, noting he used multiple aliases (Charlie, Steve, Terry, Levi). Following counselling, he was medically discharged with an 80% disability duty pension, receiving double-rate support.

• Changing Landscape of Policing: Both men discuss how modern police work has shifted heavily toward computers, digital charging, and tech reliance compared to the old days of handwritten logs and traditional methods.

#TrueCrime #PolicePodcast #UndercoverOperations #LawEnforcement #EssexPolice #CriminalInvestigation #PodcastPrécis

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