Whisper in the Shadows
Welcome to ‘Whispers in the Shadows’, your gateway into the nerve-wracking work of undercover policing. The true stories of a real-life undercover cop. I’m Michael Bates, an ex-undercover police officer, and this was my reality for over two years. If your fascinated by the truth that lies beneath crime shows, if you hunger for the real-life stories that leap beyond the boundaries of fiction, ‘Whispers in the Shadows’ is here to satisfy your curiosity. From infiltrating drug syndicates to living a double life, every episode uncovers a thrilling true story that pitted me against the face of danger. Don’t miss out on the chance to step into my shoes and experience what it takes to walk the thin line between law and crime. Subscribe to ‘Whispers in the Shadows’ and join me, as we delve into the gritty world of undercover policing.
Whisper in the Shadows
The Best Buys - Part 2
But that’s just the beginning. I'll also take you behind the scenes of the challenges and triumphs involved in using recording devices during undercover missions. Imagine trying to gather intel with a tape recorder uncomfortably stashed in your pants or dealing with a melted microphone. You'll learn how I eventually found a more effective solution and orchestrated a high-stakes buy-bust operation involving a dealer named John. Every move was calculated to ensure the success of the mission, and you'll get an inside look at the tension and strategy involved.
Finally, we delve into the complexities of living a double life in the underground drug world. From confronting syndicate member Tommy on a bustling city street to maintaining multiple covers, including posing as a gay toy boy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The importance of a safe house, building rapport with key contacts, and the unexpected challenges of undercover life, such as frequenting strip clubs, are all part of the story. This episode offers a gripping glimpse into the relentless pressure and quick thinking required to survive in the undercover world.
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Welcome to the Whisper in the Shadows podcast. My name's Jason Somerville. For two years I worked undercover using the pseudonym Michael Bates, who has now become part of me. The stories that you've been listening to were my stories of my time undercover. Well, now it's time for the best buys, that's right, the best drug buys. I've done from the entire period. Done from the entire period, starting with Buzz, working my way through Tommy, even on to Betty. You'll hear all the ones that I had the most fun doing and hopefully you'll enjoy listening to them just as much as I enjoyed doing them.
Speaker 1:So the three of us were sitting in the car two scruffy looking Vietnamese guys and a scruffy looking white guy in a fairly expensive car, actually parked away from the majority of cars and people and just looking really sus, so much so that a marked police car drives up in front of us, parking us in and the uniformed police get out. Now I was fairly calm because, hey, even if I did get caught with the gear, I wasn't getting into trouble and would give me some credit. That was lacking with Tommy. The two of them were talking in Vietnamese to each other and both seemed a little frantic. Hey, I said English. Okay, don't stress, just act calm. They don't know anything and I have the gear on me.
Speaker 1:The police asked us to get out of the car and go to the front of it. I was able to slide the packet that I had of heroin into a hiding place I had in the car and got out. The coppers made us go to the front of the car, asked for our ID and then asked what we were doing. I said that these guys had told me about the bakery and that's why we were there. The coppers didn't believe me, of course, so they asked all of us to empty our pockets on the front of my car, which we all did. They then took us one by one to the back of the police car to obviously question us separately and also search us a bit more.
Speaker 1:Danny went first, couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see him looking over at us well, me and the copper looking over at me and asking him questions. The copper brought him back and then he took Tommy with him, while Tommy was out of earshot. Then he goes hey, mick, I told them not to search you because you're an undercover cop and I'm helping you. I said you said what he said yeah, so you don't get caught. I said fuck me, mate. I've hidden the gear. All you've done is made Tommy more suspicious. What if they say something to him? What if they don't search me? Now, you are an idiot. Don't ever tell anyone that again. Do you hear me? I was furious.
Speaker 1:So the cop brings Tommy back and he then walks up to me. Now, he doesn't take me anywhere. What he does is he just pats me down, says are you holding? I say no, and he turns around to his mate and goes okay, come on, let's go. I'm thinking to myself, righto. So we jump back in the car and Tommy is really, really suspicious. He says to me how come you weren't searched? I go, mate. How would I know he goes? Are you a cop? I've gone. No, dude. How would I know? Did you get busted? Did you get locked up? No, how would I know he goes? Are you a cop? I've gone. No, dude. How would I know? Did you get busted? Did you get locked up? No, how would I know why I wasn't searched? You guys didn't have anything. Maybe they thought if these two don't have anything, he's not going to have anything either.
Speaker 1:Danny called her and the deal was set up. We were going to go and meet her in the car park of a local tavern which at that time was one of the roughest pubs in town Think sawdust on the floor type place. During the day it was dodgy looking, even the restaurant you wouldn't willingly walk into for a fee. Now the car park was on the intersection of a major arterial road and another very heavily used during the day. Over night time not so much, but during the day there was a lot of traffic. So we head off to the meet location.
Speaker 1:I pull into the car park and Danny directs me towards a white Ford station wagon that looked like it had three people in it with a female driver. The target was already there waiting for us. I pull my car up and turn to Danny getting ready to get out. Danny looks at me and asks me for the money. Mate, you need to get your skinny ass over there and get them to let me do the buy. I'm not giving you any money. He started a protest but I cut him off. No, mate, go.
Speaker 1:So Danny gets out of my car and walks at 25 meters or so over to the target's car, goes to the driver's door and has a conversation, looking back nervously at me. Then he comes back to my car, gets in the passenger seat and, looking dejected, says they will only sell to me this time, then next time they promise to meet you. I exploded and told him he was going to jail. I'd had enough. I gave him the $100 because we really needed an in to this target and told him that he could only buy it if they agreed to meet me right now and sell to me next time. Okay, okay, he said.
Speaker 1:He gets out, goes back to the car. Fuck, I thought to myself. He has screwed me again. The little shit. I had a thought that I'd just get out of the car and go over there and introduce myself. Then I thought, better off it. I was outnumbered and I didn't really know who they were. I can see Danny pointing over to me and then handing the money to the target. I can clearly see her shaking head as if to say no. Then there is some conversation with the people in the back of the target. I can clearly see her shaking her head as if to say no. Then there is some conversation with the people in the back of the car. Danny then fidgets around a bit and then comes back toward my car. As he is doing this, the target starts the car and takes off.
Speaker 1:I was furious. You could see the look on Danny's face. It was somewhere between being pleased with himself but also being aware that he had stuffed up. He gets back in the car and hands me the packet what the fuck? I yell at him. They said they would meet you. I was coming back to get you Bullshit. I roared, I was pissed off.
Speaker 1:I then did something that was completely out of character for me, but in hindsight it was the best thing I could have done. I reached back behind and pulled out my gun from where it was sitting in my jeans, in the small of my back. Yes, like a real gangster carry. I grabbed him by the shirt, dragged him across the car and put my gun in his face and yelled this is the last time. You, little piece of shit. If this happens again, I'm going to pull this trigger in your mouth and bury you in the bush. Do you understand? His eyes were as wide as horses and I could feel him trembling. He certainly didn't expect that response and, to be honest, I didn't either. It just happened. He nodded his head furiously. He couldn't speak as I had a gun jammed in his mouth. When I relented, he said okay, mick, okay, I will introduce you next time. I said to every person Danny, this shit of you snipping the buys stops today. Next time you'll introduce me to every person or else and I will do the buying. Understood, I managed to calm down a bit and put my gun away. Danny was shitting himself. He didn't know what to do. We're going away. Danny was shooting himself. He didn't know what to do. I composed myself and we drove off. I took him back to the local shopping centre near his house and dropped him off. Remember, I said from now, every single time I get introduced, danny. He slowly nodded his head, looking down at his feet. Lye indicated that if, for some reason, he couldn't meet me, then Trong would do the delivery for me.
Speaker 1:Dealing with Lye was very easy, simple and professional If a drug dealer can be professional, that is. There was little chat. I gave him money and he gave me the drugs. Buys were always done in the car park of a major shopping centre. He would park in exactly the same spot as would I, and he would walk over to my car, get in the front seat. Many years later I was actually working in the area and I would go to the shopping center for lunch and, like muscle memory, the first time I went I drove and parked in almost the exact same spot I would when I was buying drugs, which kind of freaked me out a little bit.
Speaker 1:Obviously, a big part of buying drugs is recording not only the drugs but the conversation during the buy, to prove, a the target is where they are selling your drugs and, b they intend to sell you more drugs on an ongoing basis. There are many ways to do this, but recording the conversation as it is happening via a tape recording device is the simplest and easiest. It's very hard to refute a tape recording of you saying I will sell you a gram of heroin for $600. How often do you want to buy? And this heroin is much better quality than a lot on the street? Do you have the money For these buys?
Speaker 1:I decided not to use the tape down my pants. Firstly, as I indicated in my first episode, it is really uncomfortable. Secondly, trying to turn it on is also hard when you are sitting in a car seat and thirdly, the quality of the recording can be muffled with everything going on down there. So for the first couple of buys I did use it this way. However, I came up with the idea of placing the recording device into the interior light cavity of my car. Luckily, the design of the particular car I had meant that there was an excess of space between the twin light globes and the rest of the compartment. There was even a little ledge that was about the same size as the recorder, which meant it sat out of the way nicely.
Speaker 1:On the first occasion I thought it would be smart and use the external microphone that came with it. If I was wearing the recorder I would usually have the microphone attached to the inside of my pants and come up at the top of them near the fly. Given I was skinny back then, there was no gut to impede the recording, so I've set this up in the car To make sure there was enough tape for recording. I had to pull up when I got close to the car park, open the light and turn on. The recording device during the first solo by the microphone has come undone from its hiding place all in between the two globes. I was able to see the shadow and was sure that I was going to see it was going to be able to see it as well. Now, remember the stress I had of hearing the tape change sides. Well, add to that the fact that I could now see the microphone. While Sysbi went off without a hitch, the microphone did get burnt and in fact melted. Suffice to say, I didn't use the external microphone again, and it may or may not have been lost.
Speaker 1:Lye was a good source of information around the drug business. Trong was a little more open about the other players and we got some great intel from him too. He was closer to my age and there was a bit of I'm better than you in his matter. It was decided we would do a buy bust. The plan was to get as much information out of John as possible, get the drugs, but try and not give him the money. Before the troops came running in and grabbed him. The car park was going to be set up, so the space I parked in there would be three or four cars with coppers in them, with good line of sight, ie not too far away. So when I said the code word, they would come running and grab John. It was a good plan. I would have the money in the back of the Vitara, john. It was a good plan. I would have the money in the back of the Vitara. Once John showed me the heroin I would say I just have to get out and get the money, as it was in the compartment in the boot. Once I said I just have to get out and get the money, in would come the cavalry. It was a good plan. It was a very simple and good plan. The phrase was simple and if it was missed me, getting out was the second trigger. It was a very simple and good plan.
Speaker 1:The day the by-bust came early morning to the drug squad officers we go through the plan. Everyone has a last minute, say we cover off on contingencies, what if this happens, etc. I'm wired up and, given the 11 grand, the last thing my controller says to me is try and make sure you don't give him the money before the team get there to arrest him. Yeah well, I'll be out of the car getting it when they do that. So sure, I said it was a good plan.
Speaker 1:Surveillance head out to the airport to get set up. About half an hour later I head out too. I went through all the things I needed to do. I went through all the things I needed to do. It was a good plan. Pulled into the car park park and turn the car off. I wind down my windows, take my seatbelt off and have a quick glance around. Couldn't see the team, but I knew they were there.
Speaker 1:About 10 to 15 minutes after parking I see John walking out of the arrivals door and he heads straight to my car. The front passenger door is unlocked so he opens it and gets in. He was carrying what looked like a parcel post envelope and it had something in it, not too bulky but noticeable, mick. He says hi, john, how was your flight? I asked. Yeah, it was good, went like clockwork, he replied. How often do you do the flights? I asked. Once every couple of weeks, usually if I have to get large amounts. John then went on to explain that he goes with a female friend on the flights. They don't sit together, but he pays for her flights. Now I had wondered after that first buy why the package had been wrapped in tissue paper, because in almost every other buy I had done it was just an alfoil.
Speaker 1:John explained that he would wrap the heroin tissue paper that had been soaked in perfume. His female friend would then put that in her bra and they would enter the airport, board the flight and come back. His female friend was also wearing the same perfume and carrying the bottle in her handbag. Apparently, this was to put off any drug detection dogs that might be at the airport. He had used the same method heaps of times. He was also starting to get the heroin sent via parcel post bags, as customs didn't check them. They were only a new offering by Australia Post. He would also send the cash back to the syndicate using the express post parcel bags. It is amazing to think that such an obvious method of transporting drugs and money wasn't policed, but it is now.
Speaker 1:It was then that he pulled out the ounce of heroin. He made a great show of unwrapping the tissue paper and there it was an alfalfa package of an ounce or 28 grams of heroin. That looks great, john. I just have to get out and get the money, as it's in the compartment in the back, wanted to hide it, just in case you know what I mean. Yeah, sure, mick, all good. He said the phrase had been said. It was a simple plan.
Speaker 1:I opened the driver's door and slowly get out of the car. I then close the driver's door. I have a quick scan around the car park and I can't see any movement. That's a bit odd, I thought I walk to the back of the Vitara and open the back door Again. I have a look around no one. I say to John through the car. So how often can you meet me doing this? I want to talk to you about that, mick. He says. Looking back at me, I must have had a quizzical look on my face to get a smile. So I'm fidgeting around for the money and eventually grab the envelope with it in. I close the back door and I see a plainclothes copper sneaking up behind the two cars over. I make eye contact and nod as if to say shouldn't you be here by now? He stops dead in his tracks.
Speaker 1:I walk back over to the driver's door, open and get in. John hands me the heroin and I have to hand him the money. That is what you do, right? I'm still expecting old mate two cards crossed to come running in with someone, anyone. John then says to me Mick, remember how I said I wanted to move back home? Yeah, I said, but you wanted to find time to take over first. Yeah, that's right. He said Would you be interested in distributing here? I can take you with me next time to meet the people I work for and if they approve, then you can work for them and I can go off and do something else. Um, yeah, if you think I could, I said, knowing full well that at any minute now he was going to be busted. Right? He says We'll talk soon and with that he puts the money in his pocket and he gets out of my car and walks off towards the passenger car park. Now I'm sitting there going. What the hell? It was such a simple plan. It was a good plan. I reverse out of the parking space and drive to the exit. I pass a car with two plainclothes cops heading to where John had parked his car. As I'm driving off, I call my controller. What the fuck happened? I had to give him the money. Where was everyone? I don't know. Let's talk about it. At the back of the office she said what else could I do? So I headed back to the office.
Speaker 1:At this point it's been about two months after that first bye with Tommy and I get a phone call at about 2am one morning and the caller is obviously Vietnamese. I could tell that even though I was half asleep. I could also tell it was Tommy. He had a very distinct voice I going to kill you. You are an undercover cop, you, dog, I kill you. And he then hung up so bleary-eyed I I thought fuck, that wasn't good and I did what anyone else would do and called the number back. Now, tommy didn't answer, so I tried to get back to sleep. The next day I called Danny and couldn't get him either. I'd moved on from Tommy and further up the chain so I wasn't too concerned. Besides, he had no idea where I lived.
Speaker 1:It came time to close that first operation because I was getting married. In a matter of weeks, search warrants and buy bus were set up and executed. I'd heard that a few of the Vietnamese had been raided and that they were rounded up, but no one had actually found Tommy yet. I was on my way to do a buy bus to another target with a group of marked and unmarked cars in tow. I was driving down the main street of one of the inner city suburbs when I spotted Tommy crossing the road in front of me. Yes, he stood out that much. This street, even back then, was a main arterial road and there were a lot of people walking and a lot of cars coming and going.
Speaker 1:When I saw him, I sped up and literally almost ran him over, screeching to a halt in front of him. My window was down, so so I reached out, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the window. The look of shock and terror on his face was cathartic. When he saw it was me, he was a little less worried and scared. I said call me a fucking police, dog cunt. I will fucking kill you if you ever say that to anyone. He's gone. No, mick, no, it wasn't me. I don't think you are police. I said it fucking was you, you little cunt. If I hear you have been saying I'm a police to anyone, you are dead. Do you understand me Now?
Speaker 1:All the while I was looking in my rear view mirror for the marked car that was following me. As soon as I saw it get close, I said fuck coppers. I looked him in the eyes and said remember what I said. Then I literally pushed him down into the middle of the road and took off at a million miles an hour. As I was doing so, I had the detectives on speed dial called them and said hey, the guy in the middle of the road, that's Tommy Van Dang. The marked car grabbed him, arrested him and took him back to the station Once the rest of the busts and raids had finished.
Speaker 1:The detective then says so, you do know Mick. Tommy says so, you do know Mick. Tommy says yes, tommy, mick is an undercover police officer and you sold him heroin on a number of occasions. To which Tommy replies no, I not sell him drugs. He give me money. I go and get drugs and then give to him, but I not sell them to him. At that time I'm at that point. I'm ushered out of the interview, trying not to laugh.
Speaker 1:Now, remember in the last episode where I was heading along, heading to buy, heading to a buy bust, when I saw tommy vang dang crossing the road well, this is the buy bust I was heading to. So my adrenaline levels were already peaking at this stage, given I had just had a run in with tommy. The plan was pretty simple Wayne had said to pull up behind him, he would come and get in my car and we would do the deal Money to him, drugs to me. Now remember how I said that I had the drug squad detective's phone number on speed dial on my phone. Well, there was a very good reason for that. The location we were going to was a pretty good one for Wayne. There weren't a lot of places a police car full of detectives could sit and watch what was going on without being obvious. We had done a recce of the area the day before. The plan was simple I wasn't going in with any money. I was going to get him to hand me the drugs, then I was going to push the speed dial and when the phone rang, that was the cue for the cavalry to come before I had to give Wayne the non-existent $6,000. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Like I said at that time, mobile phones had only just become a thing. The infrastructure was almost non-existent. That meant there were a lot of dead spots where there simply was no service. The drug squad and Mark Carr pulled up around the corner in their pre-allocated position, remember. They didn't have any line of sight. It was go time, all on the phone ringing.
Speaker 1:I drive on and pull up behind Wayne's car. My police training of giving a car's length kicked in, which meant I wasn't boxed in and could speed out if I wanted to. I gave him a wave and watched him get out of his car and walk to mine, fully expecting him to come to the passenger side. Now, instead of getting in my car, he comes to the driver's side window, which I hadn't planned for. I wind down my window, wayne. I said Mick, how are you? He asked yeah, good, good, you're not getting in the car. No, no, I'll stay out here. He said Now, this was awkward. The plan was to have him contained in my car so he couldn't do a runner.
Speaker 1:When the cavalry arrived, I'm sitting in my car, I'd taken my seatbelt off and I had my flip phone in the handbrake well open, with my finger hovering above the recall button. Wayne then says to me you know, buzz thought you were a copper, a narc. Then says to me you know, buzz, thought you were a copper, a narc. Fuck off. I said really, mate, he was just paranoid. After getting done yeah, I know, that's what I told him. I said don't be stupid, buzz, mick isn't a copper, I'll deal with him and you don't have to. Wayne said thanks, mate, I appreciate that. I said now, do you have the gear? Yep. Do you have the money? Yep, do you have the money? He asked yeah, sure, it's just here in my glove box, let me get it for you. I said Press off goes the call, or so I thought. Seems I was in a dead spot, wasn't I? Now, I couldn't see the phone, but I was expecting lights and sirens within maybe 10 seconds of me pressing the button.
Speaker 1:Crickets, here I am sitting in a car with someone who has been told by another dealer they think I'm an undercover cop I'm fumbling around for the money. I don't know if he was a violent man, if he had a weapon, a knife or a gun. No, friendly police sounds. And I was starting to panic. So I fumbled with the glove box, making excuses and cursing Mate, I locked it. Sorry, I didn't want't want to get stolen. You know it's a lot of money. I said as I fumbled the key out of the ignition into the glove box press, press, press. And then, like my favorite song song coming on at a club, I heard the sweetest sound known to a uc doing a bypassed police sirens, fuck cops.
Speaker 1:Wayne says here, take this, I'll get the money from you another time. Now take off and don't get fucking caught. Are you sure, mate? I said, looking over my shoulder at the ever closer cars. Yes, now fuck off, drive. And I did just that. I took off at a million miles an hour.
Speaker 1:I don't know if Wayne thought it was strange or not at the time, but the cars just stopped at him. They didn't bother to chase me, even after he told the police they had just missed the Mr B and had had at least a quarter ounce on me and six thousand dollars in the car. So I'd have back to the drug squad officers my controller with the quarter ounce lodge it and happy days when the detectives eventually get back. I asked them why didn't you come the first time I called? We didn't get a call. He said, mate, I must have pressed send like six or seven times. I said I was running out of excuses for not giving you the money. A bit strange not getting a call. We looked down at our phones and there was no signal. I'm guessing that was the same for you it was. At that point I decided to come in blazing. I am certainly glad you did. I'll give you the tip. I said laughing. The team raided Wayne's house and some other associated places and found you guessed it quantities of heroin. They also found large stashes of cash. Wayne was charged and convicted of trafficking in heroin.
Speaker 1:Now, betty was one of the more unusual informants I had. You see, betty was a man who was gay and who preferred to be dressed as a female, or are dressed as a female what we would now call preferred the she-her pronouns. Before that became a thing. In reality, she just preferred to dress and act like a woman. Now she had been caught with speed, I believe and as part of her deal she was going to give up her dealers, as well as some of the dealers in the underworld of strip clubs and gay bars. She was going to give up her dealers, as well as some of the dealers in the underworld of strip clubs and gay bars. This was always going to be a difficult job and was going to put my acting skills to the test. You see, the cover story. The only cover story we could really come up with was I was going to be Betty's plaything and I was gay and I had to be convincing. Now, bear in mind that I was happily married to a woman. The main reason for this cover story was twofold. One, a straight guy in this circle would scream undercover cop. And two, his two main targets were both sleeping with Betty. Although they weren't gay per se, they just had sex with her. The only way to meet them without raising suspicions was to be at her house when they came around to take her out and to be at her house, I had to be gay and her new plaything or boy toy I know right Now.
Speaker 1:As part of any operation, I had to have a safe house, somewhere that I could meet targets if need be, but also somewhere that, if I was followed, would not put my real life or my wife at risk. Now, because this actually happened in my first operation and was followed home to my real house by two Vietnamese guys, I took this part of my experience really seriously, so I had to find somewhere to live. There was a suggestion between my controller and Betty that maybe I should live there with her, whilst I think my controller was joking. I'm pretty sure Betty wasn't. It was never going to happen, though. She lived in a one bedroom apartment. I was not sleeping on a couch and I was definitely not sharing a bed with her. That was investing in the cover story one step too far.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I eventually got an apartment that was close to Betty, but the surveillance guys were still able to wire up with recording devices and cameras, which meant that I was able to record things that happened in the unit. It was also far enough away that I wouldn't risk being seen coming and going. Enough away that I wouldn't risk being seen coming and going. Now, unlike today's nanny cams, it was hardwired with a tape, which made timing everything, but in general it worked the same way. Turning it on was tricky and had to be done before anyone was in the apartment, given that the recorder was hidden and I had to take furniture apart to access it. There were limitations. Luckily, though, the complex had one of those video phones that allowed me to see who was at my entrance, and they had to be buzzed into the internal part of the building. Still, out of the few times I did use it, there was one where I left part of the furniture awry in my haste to get it turned on, and I thought it was going to give me away. It didn't, but I was stressed through the entire interaction.
Speaker 1:Now again, this apartment was very close to two things from her past, one being the sports ground where I did a lot of the initial buys with Roy. I believed he was no longer dealing and his legitimate business had gone. So I wasn't going to see him. I didn't think. But the second one it was very close to where I went to high school and there were a few people that I knew socially, or rather had known socially, who lived in the immediate area. So there was that in the back of my mind. I was always very careful when I was outside to make sure just who I might be seen by. As for a vehicle, I was driving a Holden Ute for some reason. Not sure how that fit into the cover story of being a gay toy boy, but given I spent a lot of time walking or taking taxis when I was with Betty, it didn't seem to be a problem.
Speaker 1:Okay, so back to Betty. Obviously I had to build rapport with Betty which would make people not question that I was a gay boy toy. I spent a lot of time at her place learning about her. It even got to the point where she bought me clothes to wear and made sure I had a proper skincare routine to help me look the part. I look back now, and while I was given shit from the rest of the squad about it, it was quite an enjoyable experience. Betty often tried to convince me that I should see if I was at least bi, but to no avail.
Speaker 1:I am very much hetero and very much interested in women. That interest in women also nearly caused my cover being blown and a slight change to my backstory where I was now by. You see, betty was very, very good friends with a plethora of strippers. They literally lived in the units around her and, as she used to run clubs, she was gifted free entry to just about every strip club in the city. In this op, I needed to be seen with her, socializing and be accepted as part of the scene. A few weeks becomes a lifetime and once you are always there, you become part of the furniture and people stop questioning why you're there or how long you have been there. So, needless to say, I spent many nights initially going out just to be seen and become known, and for some reason, as I said, strip clubs seem to be the club of choice for Betty.
Speaker 1:Okay, now, most people think of them as seedy places where women who are drug addicted sell their bodies and sometimes their souls to dirty old men. In my experience, not all the girls use drugs, but some do. Not all the girls are prostitutes, but some are. Some of the girls are really just making a lucrative living by using what God gave them in a relatively safe way. You would generally have your mix of girls who have no other choice and could be taken advantage of through to girls who enjoyed the fact that men gave their money for being attractive and being naked. There was also this sort of subculture, if you like.
Speaker 1:When I was going out and partying myself with my friends, both male and female, we did it in nightclubs. Strip clubs also have the same allure for people as well. Yes, you get your bucks night groups, you get your dirty old men, but you also get a certain group of people, both male and female, who genuinely go to strip clubs for the same experience I would have in a normal club. Obviously, there would be more nakedness and left clothing at the strip club than at a club. I don't know if you could say that now, though. Anyway, there were a lot of people that just gravitated towards strip clubs. A lot of them also used speed amongst other drugs, but it also but basically, speed and ease seemed to be the drug of choice. I was made aware of the presence of cocaine, but it never became a drug to access in the circles I was playing in.
Speaker 1:On a night out with Betty, we would come to a club and the girls would, in various stages of undress, come up and hug and kiss her, saying hello. Once I was introduced, they would hug and kiss me too. We would go backstage to the dressing rooms where again we would get hugs and kisses, this time from mostly naked girls. Hugs and kisses, this time from mostly naked girls. Now, as I have said previously, I was a young man who enjoyed the female form. The natural response of a red-blooded male when having friendly physical contact, such as hugging or kissing or showing affection, let alone just being with and seeing naked, stunning girls, was a physiological response of a rocket in my pocket. Whilst being somewhat enjoyable, it was also very problematic, given I was supposed to be Betty's boy toy and ostensibly gay. On one particular occasion it the rocket response was very, very obvious and Betty came up to me, whacked a piece of the groin with her hand and said you need to put that away. You're supposed to be gay. Gay men don't get hard over a naked girl, honey. Whilst that smack did the trick, it wasn't going to be a fix, so he decided to change my backstory to being bi and not totally gay. That way, if one of the girls did notice my response, I had a plausible excuse and it wouldn't draw too much attention.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed that. Look back at the best buys of my career working undercover and you'll join me with my continuing conversations on behind the thin blue line. Once again, thanks for listening. Thank you for listening to Whisper in the Shadows my true stories of a real-life undercover cop. I hope you've enjoyed that episode. In the next one we'll explore more exciting stories from my operations. Please make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Lastly, if you're an ex-COVID operative or undercover police officer, I would love to chat to you about your experiences. Or, if you're feeling dangerous, tell your stories on my podcast. Please get in contact by my email, which is whisperintheshadowspodcast at gmailcom. I look forward to you joining me next time.
