{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/63565ff61fc1700013a97f66/6ad769d06a9e2a41c3eab818?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Costa Del Drugs and Exit","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/63565ff61fc1700013a97f66/1792502166243-74f388b3-6459-4688-a767-2857cabf6ccf.jpeg?height=200","description":"<h2>Podcast Précis: &quot;Paul Maleary&#39;s Downloaded&quot; (Part 4 with Steve)</h2><p>In this final instalment of Paul Maleary&#39;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. </p><p><br></p><h3>Key Highlights &amp; Operations</h3><ul><li><strong>Operation Hole:</strong> Steve details a temporary secondment where he teamed up with Johnny &quot;Monkey&quot; to run a joint operation targeting major smuggling rings, using a veneer business as a front with a 20-tonne truck load. </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>The Journey to Spain:</strong> 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. </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Surreal Encounters:</strong> 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&#39;s clothing. </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Drug Busts and Surveillance:</strong> 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. </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Medical Retirement and Pension:</strong> 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. </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Changing Landscape of Policing:</strong> 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. </li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Hashtags</h3><p>#TrueCrime #PolicePodcast #UndercoverOperations #LawEnforcement #EssexPolice #CriminalInvestigation #PodcastPrécis</p>","author_name":"Paul Maleary"}