STRESS, FEAR, DRINK AND BEING SHOT AT
Detectives reveal what it was like working on huge drugs bust
U NDERCOVER detectives who worked on one of the biggest drugs investigations in Britain have talked about the effect it had – from being “filled with fear” to suffering from depression – and one even having his lounge window shot out.
A total of 40 detectives from across the UK worked on Operation Julie, a secret investigation which was launched in March 1976 to uncover a gang in West Wales that produced LSD for worldwide distribution.
The 13-month investigation resulted in 15 people being jailed for a total of 120 years.
S4C series Y Ditectif will see some of the undercover detectives who worked on the investigation speak on camera about being involved.
Former Detective Sergeant David Redrup lived in Barry when he became involved.
“The only person I ever told was my wife,” he said. “There were times I cried to my wife with the pure stress of the operation.”
The police suspected the drugs were being made in an old mansion in Carno, Powys.
They needed confirmation without alerting the suspects and blowing their cover.
On May 10, 1976, knowing that the mansion would be empty, Llanelli’s Detective Sergeant Dai Rees and his partner Terry Stokes broke in.
“We went in filled with fear through a back window that was open,” Dai said.
“Believe you me, I feel scared now thinking about it.”
They revealed that one of the world’s biggest LSD factories was in Carno and the chemist who produced it – Richard Kemp – lived in Tregaron. But they were determined to catch the whole gang, as they also suspected that distributors were living in the rural West Wales village
Stephen Bentley, of Hampshire Police, moved to Llanddewi Brefi to watch suspect Alston Hughes, who was known as Smiles.
The detective grew his hair and beard and painted his van to fit in with some of the area’s hippies.
“It was about eight months in total working undercover,” he said. “When I say undercover, I mean deep undercover.
“You assume somebody else’s identity completely. I ended up being Steve Jackson and not me, Steve Bentley, and that is difficult.
“It puts a lot of strain on you psychologically.”
He was living a lie, taking drugs and drinking heavily to fit in.
“I became depressed while I was still in the police force. The alcohol abuse continued, as indeed did the use of drugs.”
After the investigation, it was also a difficult time for David Redrup.
“Someone pulled up in a car and shot my lounge window out,” he said. “As a result we had to get armed police outside the house for several weeks afterwards and both looking after the house and taking the kids to school.”
Despite the stress, he would “do it all over again”. said he
Dai Rees was 35 when he went undercover.
Today he treasures the memories of being part of one of the UK’s biggest drug investigations.
“There was tremendous pride to think that this team of lads had been so successful but, believe you me, there were very difficult times,” he said.
“After everything was over, and so many people were sentenced, I felt like I had won the Triple Crown.”
The hard work did pay off.
At 6am on March 26, 1977, 800 officers raided 70 houses across the UK and France.
Within minutes more people had been arrested.
A total of 4,000 pieces of evidence were seized and put under armed protection.
Investigators found £14,000 hidden in a cereal box and 1,000,000 LSD tabs.
Under the kitchen in one suspect’s house were three jars of pure LSD worth £100m. than 100
The raid was said to have taken 90% of Britain’s LSD off the streets.
In March 1978, 15 people were jailed for a total of 120 years at Bristol Crown Court.
Richard Kemp was sentenced to 13 years. His partner Christine Bott was sentenced to nine.
Alston Hughes – Smiles – from Llanddewi Brefi, was sentenced to eight.
The Operation Julie episode of Y Ditectif will be broadcast on S4C on June 6.