Interview #36 | Britain's Drug War: The Real Inside Story with Neil Woods

British Murders with Stuart Blues

Stuart Blues

True Crime

4.7 • 699 Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2023

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I welcome Neil Woods to the show in this interview episode to discuss his career as a former UK police officer and undercover drugs operative.

Neil worked undercover between 1993 and 2007, befriending and gaining the trust of some of Britain's most violent and unpredictable criminals. He's now an active member of the international drug policy reform movement.

With the insight that can only come from having fought on its front lines, Neil saw the true futility of the War on Drugs - that it demonises those who need help and empowers the worst elements in society.

Neil is a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) in the USA and the U.K. (LEAP UK).

LEAP is a growing international organisation that advocates an evidence-based drug policy and related criminal justice reforms. The group is made up entirely of serving and former police and other law enforcement.

Neil can be reached at his website:

neilwoods.net

***This interview was recorded on May 24, 2023.

For all things British Murders, please visit my website:

https://www.britishmurders.com/

Intro music:

David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'

https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:31.9	This podcast contains elements that may be alarming to some listeners.
0:36.6	Listener discretion is advised.
0:38.8	You are now listening to British Birds.
0:42.2	The To Free Podcast.
0:59.4	The Neil Woods, welcome to the show.
1:04.4	Thank you for giving up your time today to come on and discuss your illustrious career.
1:13.3	Now, what I want to ask before we get into the nitty-gritty of that is, as an adult, you would go go on to go undercover a lot of involvement in the UK drug world what I want to know is if we take it back to say high school junior school
1:20.0	however far back you want to go what did you envision yourself becoming as a youngster
1:25.3	I am I wasn't one of those people who had a clear idea about what I was going to do.
1:32.9	I suppose I've always been obsessed with music.
1:36.1	I used to sing in bands and things, but I didn't really have any great ambitions in that regard either.
1:42.4	So, no, I mean, I wasn't one of these kids who had run around with a plastic policeman's helmet
1:46.0	arm or anything.
1:46.8	I didn't want to go into policing.
	...

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