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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• Host: Paul Maleary - former Essex Police officer with 30 years of service
• Guest: Steve H.
• Episode Focus: Part 3 of the interview series with Steve H.

• Traditional Policing vs. Crime: Discussion on how traditional squads operated independently of strict crime books, providing supplementary support across various pavement and robbery jobs.

• Notable Cases & Figures: Insights into historical investigations, high-profile arrests involving armed robbers, and interactions with notorious underworld figures (such as Linda Calvey, "Tough Ted," and others).

• Undercover and Specialist Operations: Anecdotes detailing the intricate, high-stakes nature of Regional Crime Squad (RCS) operations, surveillance, gun/weapon recoveries, and large-scale cash stashes involving the Bank of England.

• The Reality of Law Enforcement: Exploring the fine lines between crime and enforcement, operational pressures, and humorous or tense encounters during international and domestic deployments.

#ExJobDownloaded #TrueCrime #PoliceStories #PodcastPrecis #TrueCrimePodcast #EssexPolice #UndercoverOperations

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Host: Paul Maleary

Guest: Steve H.

Series: Ex-Job Downloaded

Overview

In this second part of his interview with host Paul Maleary (former Essex Police officer), guest Steve H. takes listeners back to an earlier era of policing in the Metropolitan Police Service, sharing vivid anecdotes about colourful characters, internal corruption scandals, and complex homicide investigations.

Key Discussion Points & Narrative Highlights

• Tales from the Squad Room & Resignations: Steve recalls unusual departures from the force, including an officer who resigned to become a professional Las Vegas gambler and ultimately died on the streets of New York.

• "Shaft" & Internal Corruption: Steve details the story of a mixed-race Detective Chief Inspector nicknamed "Shaft". He discusses an internal corruption scandal involving alleged bribes, bail-fixing for a robber’s son, and money extortion schemes involving senior officers.

• The "Trilby" Era & "Monkey" Mansfield: An inside look into traditional Met CID culture, complete with officers wearing classic trilby hats. Steve shares a humorous story involving Detective Inspector "Monkey" Johnny Mansfield, a night out that led to trapped contact lenses, and a trip to Moorfields Eye Hospital.

• Harry Clement BEM & The "Taser" Howard Case: Steve describes working under Detective Chief Inspector Harry Clement (awarded the British Empire Medal for gallantry). He explains the Assistant Commissioner's C-Department Consolidated Instructions (ACCI) list for dangerous individuals and recounts arresting Anthony "Taser" Howard—a criminal driving a stolen London black cab with a fake badge.

• Courtroom Drama at Snaresbrook: During "Taser" Howard’s trial, the defendant attempted to bluff the court by claiming he held an Oxford degree. Steve details the dramatic moment the judge sent out the jury and instructed Steve to call the college dean live from court, completely unravelling the defence's strategy.

• Child Murder Investigations: Steve touches upon a harrowing investigation into the murder of an eight-year-old boy whose body was dumped near a traveller site. He explains how precise TV commercial-break timestamps (during Coronation Street) and traffic drive times were used to dismantle the suspect's alibi, leading into a broader discussion about connected child murder cases.

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