The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
P&J podcast probes drugs fugitive case
The Press and Journal has launched a new true crime series exploring the story of Julian Chisholm, the North Sea oil diver behind Scotland’s biggest drugs importation. Hunting Mr X details how the Aberdeen diver built his own drug empire, made a deal with the Cali Cartel and brought £100 million of Colombian cocaine to the UK via Ullapool.
The case made headlines nationwide after customs caught the gang as they attempted to transport the
Class A drugs south.
During the trial of Chisholm’s henchmen, there was an order made under the Contempt of Court Act, which stopped the media from naming him. He was given the moniker ‘Mr X’.
Then, in a shocking turn of events, Chisholm managed to escape from custody and flee. He remains one of the most wanted men in the UK.
The five-part podcast series is the first of its kind for The Press and Journal.
Investigative reporter Dale Haslam spent almost two years delving into Chisholm’s rise to power and how his ambitious drugs network spread.
He said: “We spoke with investigators, detectives, reformed criminals, and authors and authorities based across the world to shed new light onto Chisholm’s massive criminal operation.
“Along the way, we discovered where Chisholm grew up, when his family moved to Scotland and why, we looked into rumours surrounding stolen gold and we established how he was able to escape from jail with a notorious French gangster.”
Host and co-producer Brendan Duggan said: “For fans of true crime podcasts, this is a local story that will grip you right till the end.
“The tale of Julian Chisholm is a thrilling mystery and listeners will enjoy unwinding the story episode by episode.
“It will keep you entertained while you are doing chores, running errands or exercising.”
The first three episodes are available now on all major podcast platforms with the final two episodes released on June 8 and 15.
Hunting Mr X is also on The Press and Journal website. You can access it by scanning the QR code above. Subscribe to the series to never miss an episode and let us know what you think with a review.