Undercover Drug Cops On Their Worst Moments | Crime Stories | @LADbible

In this episode of our Crime Stories series we have sat down with Peter Bleksley and Neil Woods, who both used to be undercover cops working with drug crimes. Peter and Neil shared their worst moments, exchanged stories from the old days and agreed on why the war on drugs has to be ended as soon as possible.

00:00 - Getting into undercover work
05:42 - Taking drugs undercover
12:37 - Closest I've been to death
20:43 - Future of drug policing in the UK

Thanks to Peter and Neil for taking part!

#LADbible #UNILAD

[wildoatling]

I appreciate the man on the left for his ability to politely interject an pull more details from the man on the right. He’s both an excellent listener and storyteller.

[alisonagainffs]

Neil Woods is a man of character, no ego and obvious kindness. I love his interviews. Top banana.

[oliverh]

Hearing two highly experienced undercover officers categorically agree that decriminalisation and regulation is the only answer says it all. If only governments would listen.

[vantheman]

The end of the discussion on drugs and it being the fourth biggest industry in the world and being run by the most dangerous people in the world was the best explanation I’ve heard on drugs.

[thelonesomewanderer]

haha that cracked me up, his undercover partner turns to him and says "f it lets get stoned" 🤣

[pPod]

Neil woods- good cop bad war- best book I’ve read in years. Could listen to his stories all day

[MrsGump]

I could listen to these 2 guys for hours! I really enjoy these true story/true experience type vids

[Tedthomson]

What an absolute joy to listen to this pair, ive got such respect to them and the channel!

[paulherzog]

Such a brilliant video and two really interesting and intelligent individuals. I'm glad that the channel gave the possibility for that and for the 2 men to do all of that. I also saw the bald one in another video and he's brilliant.

[Kristoffceyssens]

The coppper 'backloaded' his joints 😂

[EmergentStardust]

They worked hard at what they thought was the right thing to do, and it's really honorable hearing them say how negative it was for society in the end

[the_local_bigamist]

Props to LadBible as always for giving these men a platform for their invaluable insights. Long post ahead but this is a subject that gets me riled up. I've been following Neil Woods for a while now and he is completely on the ball when it comes to how ludicrous, counter-productive and dangerous the "war on drugs" is, and seeing him speak with a colleague who did the same job was excellent. Notice how the conclusions of both men are the same: the current way of doing things not only fails to tackle the problem, it actually makes it worse. You will find a majority of people who know this world from either side (i.e. reformed crooks or ex-police) and who have really thought about it come to the same conclusions. Not only have these strategies failed to interrupt the supply of illegal drugs (there are more drugs available to meet the demand of consumers than ever, and the supply is always increasing), but they have made the business of dealing drugs more dangerous.

Mentioning the awful tragedy of Olivia Pratt-Korbel (RIP) being murdered only months ago should hammer it home for anybody who doesn't get it yet: children are being caught in the cross-fire as drug dealers try to kill each other to claim their market share. This is in the same city that saw the tragic death of Rhys Jones (RIP) in 2007, murdered when a third generation "gangster" was trying to shoot at a rival and ended up murdering an 11 year old boy - the murderer himself was only 16 years old, and he was raised into this world at street-level as so many young people are. Outside of London, Liverpool is the city with the biggest monopoly on the drugs market, and as the drugs are distributed around the country (it is complicated but there are some known, fairly consistent distribution networks that have been in place for decades, and we would be naïve to think that top police, MI5, NCA etc. don't know about them), accompanying the drugs is the violence. In every city and major town in this country, people are killing each other in order to keep the kingpins wealthy, and even when the police take down a major player, there will always be people trying to get the spot and this will often come as a power-struggle, with more people being murdered, including innocent people and children, because so many of these psychos can't shoot straight!

Meanwhile, the real, top echelons of organised crime aren't even known to the public because they present themselves and are seen as "respectable businessmen" - you might even be living in one of their properties. Whilst the local big shot runs about in a rented, flashy car, has a Rolex and controls the flow into his housing estate (even just a block in a housing estate!) and has young kids shooting at rivals when there is a challenge, the top level traffickers are possibly at a dinner party with such potential guests as a top copper, some business people and maybe even a politician! The local bigshot will say the old line: 'snitches get stitches', but the people who supply him - and probably his local rivals - will have cosy relationships with people in law enforcement. Even some of the bigshot, openly "gangster" types will be snitches, using the police to take out their rivals by being informants, and there are cases in which the gang will have someone actually employed within the police, getting a salary on top of their police salary! It goes deep.

Of course, some cops are corrupted by the money alone, but some are blackmailed - an example might be that some organised crime group knows that a certain officer has elements of his lifestyle that he wants to keep secret (use your imagination, or don't, because you might think of the worst kinds of secrets that a police officer - or any person - would want to keep...), and so he will provide information to the OCG in order to keep things under the carpet, and will likely be financially rewarded too. People have no idea about just how close some corrupt police are to organised crime, and the whole "snitches get stitches" line is there to terrify the people employed by the group but also the communities in which they operate. Neil Woods mentioned this when he said that gangsters had to be more scary than the police - organised crime requires people capable of the worst violence imaginable, stuff which makes the movies seem like silly cartoons in comparison.

How many more innocent people have to die or be maimed, or have their lives ruined in other ways, just so a few people can get rich? We know that the current way of doing things merely makes things worse, but there is no change in sight because there is too much money at stake. Drug money isn't just stashed under mattresses, it is filtered into the global financial system and amounts to $billions. The whole house of cards would fall apart if they suddenly did things the right way. Of course drug dealers profit but so do the police who need to play cops and robbers, the private prison industry, probation officers, rehabs, psychiatrists, any number of front businesses, dirty cops, corrupt politicians and other officials, spooks, property developers and of course, the banks! The list goes on and on. The black market contributes greatly to global GDP with the three most profitable illegal commodities being drugs, weapons and human beings, and there are too many people who have a vested interest in keeping things as they are.

Prohibition in the USA was a total failure by policing standards, but it did benefit organised crime. What we are seeing today is just a modern expression of that. It doesn't work and it leads to all kinds of misery and horror that could be avoided if we started to look at addiction as a public health issue, tackle the kind of economics (i.e. capitalism and especially the neoliberal reforms of Thatcher, Reagan and others, courtesy of the Chicago School boys) that destroyed working class communities in which drugs suddenly appeared when all the jobs disappeared, the breakdown of these communities, families within them, the lack of decent employment, our ultra-materialistic society, alienation, mental ill-health and many more issues.

So much needs to be done and I am grateful to people like Neil Woods and the other police here for being honest about the abysmal failure of the "war on drugs" and helping people to understand just how f*cked up the whole thing is.

[lenarobinson]

What a fascinating point of view at the end re the war on drugs.

[sophiaisabelle]

We appreciate this channel for giving us insightful content. We look forward to seeing more of these.

[dixib]

Wow, this went from interesting to mind blowing, and I totally agree with the gentleman on the left; that was truly a brilliant point.

[nickharmer]

Can't fault the Camberwell Carrot.! Absolutely love that film.! Top blokes them. I can't fault their attitude towards drug laws. Terrific upload. It made for great listening. Bless up 👊

[Moxhification]

Love these two lads. Will enjoy this episode highly!

Edit: Massive message from you both. Look forward to hearing more from you both in the future!

[MOSAS_SUPPLIES_LTD]

With a legal background and high-functioning autism, an exploration led me to the ex drug squad podcasts. In sharing these captivating narratives from one author to another, I find them not only intriguing but also enlightening, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of these interactions.

The brilliance and depth of both Peter's and Neil's stories across each interview not only captivate but also serve as a source of intellectual inspiration, providing valuable insights into the multifaceted challenges within this captivating realm. Their experiences unfold like intricate tales, unraveling the intricacies of the legal landscape and the human condition, creating a rich tapestry that fuels my intellectual curiosity.

[miola]

thank you for this important conversation and for sharing your experience what will really solve the war on drugs!

[gman]

This reminds me of a story I had almost forgot about, the second guy saying how he was young & had a lot to learn actually made me think of it. I went snowboarding with some mates & they were all pretty good & I was a novice at best & could tell they were getting the shits waiting on me all the time so told them to do their own thing & we would meet back up at the pub at lunchtime. I got there first & just having a few liquid painkillers after a few crashes & a UC sits down at my table trying to sell me drugs. Na, I’m good thanks mate. I appreciate your offer but I’m not looking to buy anything. He instantly asked if I could hook him up with some, I think I just laughed a bit at first because I was so caught off guard that this poor cop had no idea what his cover story was. He got up & left & I than laughed out loud like an idiot at the entire situation. Hope he didn’t get in to much trouble.