44:-year period, resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world. It culminated in 1977 with enough LSD to make 6.5 million 'tabs' with a then street value of £100 million (equivalent to £785 million today) being seized, 120 people arrested in the UK and France and over £800,000 discovered in
100:
Surveillance of Kemp observed his regular 50-mile commutes between his home in
Tregaron and Plas Llysyn, an old mansion owned by an American friend Paul Joseph Arnaboldi, in Carno near Llanidloes, mid-Wales. The mansion was watched by police and those arriving were monitored. Lee instructed police to
92:
The discovery in Kemp's car prompted establishment of
Britain's first combined anti-drugs operation. It was led by Dick Lee of the Thames Valley Drug Squad. On 17 February 1976, a meeting in Brecon involving a number of chief constables and senior drug squad officers led to formation of a multi-force
96:
In April 1976, 28 drug squad officers from 10 police forces were chosen and sent to
Devizes in Wiltshire where they were trained in surveillance techniques. In May 1976, a police team moved into a farmhouse named Bronwydd in Tregaron, overlooking Kemp's cottage. Initially, locals took them for
159:
As a result of the seizure it was estimated the price of LSD tabs rose from £1 to £5 each, and that
Operation Julie had removed 90% of LSD from the British market. It is thought that LSD produced by the two labs had been exported to over 100 countries. In total, 1.1 million tabs and enough LSD
72:
In 1975, Todd and
Fielding changed roles. Todd took over the tabletting, and Fielding ran the distribution network, supplying Russell Spencely who in turn supplied Alston Hughes (known as 'Smiles'). From Hughes, the LSD was distributed to a number of wholesale dealers in Wales and Birmingham.
64:
In 1973, the producers quarrelled with the distributors and production ceased for a time. Kemp and
Solomon set about organising another distribution network and recommenced LSD production in west Wales. Todd recruited a chemist, Andy Munro, to synthesise LSD for his distribution network at a
156:. It took a month for the prosecution to deliver the incriminating evidence. Kemp pleaded guilty and received 13 years in gaol, as did Todd. Fielding and Hughes were sentenced to 8 years. Bott was sentenced to 9 years. In total, the 15 defendants received a combined 120 years in gaol.
60:
Unable to effectively distribute the LSD they had made, they turned to Henry Todd to handle sales. At this point the organisation was based in
Cambridge. Later Todd enrolled Leaf Fielding as a tabletter, responsible for turning the raw material into accurately measured doses.
80:; a passenger in the other car was killed. Kemp was known to Detective Inspector Dick Lee of the Thames Valley Drug Squad as a possible suspect in the drugs trade and when police searched his car they found six pieces of paper which, after being reconstructed, spelt
97:
birdwatchers. As the surveillance operation progressed from weeks into months, female officers were added. The first name of one of these surveillance officers, Police
Sergeant Julie Taylor, was used as the operation's code name.
832:
56:
The two LSD rings broken up by
Operation Julie had begun life as one organisation. Its founders were David Solomon, an author, and Richard Kemp, a chemist, who first successfully synthesized LSD in 1969.
149:
On 1 December 1977, officers searched Kemp's cottage for a second time and dug up a large plastic box that contained 1.3 kg of LSD crystal - enough to create 6.5 million doses.
142:
At Kemp's home a package containing £11,000 was found as well as LSD crystals and tabletting equipment. At Carno, laboratory equipment was dug out of a well. A further raid in the
127:. This was the LSD laboratory run by Todd and Munro. Glass utensils used in this laboratory had been secretly marked by police at the factory that produced them in Yorkshire.
146:
region in France located documents that detailed and proved the LSD business had been immense. Details of French and Swiss accounts were found as well as share certificates.
247:
In August 2022, Theatr na nÓg presented the story as a rock musical to coincide with the
National Eisteddfod of Wales at Tregaron, the geographical heart of the story.
135:
On 26 March 1977, after 13 months of surveillance, Operation Julie officers swooped on 87 homes in Wales and England, including Fielding's home in
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84:- a key ingredient in the manufacture of LSD. This lead gave police their first clue into the drug ring operating in west Wales.
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break into the mansion. In the cellar, police took water samples which chemically matched LSD samples the police had.
27:
193:
265:. As a result of this, Richard Kemp broke 45 years of silence, and Hayes self-published the follow-up book
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recalled Operation Julie as the inspiration behind his "Policeman on Acid" sketch in his autobiography
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https://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/find-things-to-do/reading-students-life-global-lsd-4211433
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in 1985, following the events of the case from the police point of view. It was directed by
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272:
In 2022, the BBC developed a podcast based on the books, and other contributions, called
104:
Kemp's home was now put under 24-hour surveillance and listening devices were installed.
30:
by two drug rings during the mid-1970s. The operation, involving 11 police forces over a
796:
Operation Julie: How the Undercover Police Team Smashed the World's Greatest Drugs Ring
420:
Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD : The CIA, The Sixties, and Beyond
136:
816:
350:
To Live Outside the Law: Caught by Operation Julie, Britain's Biggest Ever Drugs Bust
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gave an account of one of only three undercover officers engaged on the operation.
201:
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In April 1975, Kemp's red Range Rover was involved in a collision with a car near
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due to his grandparents' house being used for surveillance during the operation.
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Lee also instructed two undercover officers to infiltrate the small community of
234:
219:
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575:"Review of Theatr na n'Og from the theatre dance and drama in Wales web site"
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In 1978, 15 defendants, including Kemp's partner Christine Bott, appeared at
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139:. The gang leaders were caught and a total of 120 suspects were arrested.
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69:, Greater London. There were now two separate functioning organisations.
160:
crystal to make a further 6.5 million, were discovered and destroyed.
276:. The podcast was a finalist in the BBC audio drama awards in 2023.
261:
In 2021, Catherine Hayes self-published Christine Bott's memoir
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348:
553:
833:
Operations against organised crime in the United Kingdom
404:
Operation Julie: How an LSD raid began the war on drugs
371:. Amazon: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
321:"Operation Julie: Forty years since mid Wales LSD bust"
187:
The song "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" by
93:
operation. This was the beginning of Operation Julie.
237:was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 26 September 2014.
215:gave the first insider account of Operation Julie.
777:To Live Outside the Law: Caught by Operation Julie
711:"BBC Radio Wales - Acid Dream: The Great LSD Plot"
689:. Barnham Broom, England, United Kingdom: ktazze.
664:. Barnham Broom, England, United Kingdom: ktazze.
660:Bott, Christine; Hayes, Catherine (25 June 2021).
417:
299:"Operation Julie: How I infiltrated a drugs gang"
625:. Chapter 14: Orion Publishing Co. p. 156.
760:. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
475:"Matthew Rhys buys Operation Julie film rights"
342:
340:
338:
758:Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story
741:Operation Julie: The World's Greatest LSD Bust
369:Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story
242:Undercover: Operation Julie - The Inside Story
206:Operation Julie: The World's Greatest LSD Bust
8:
451:The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town
416:Lee, Martin A. & Bruce Shlain (1992).
240:In September 2016, Stephen Bentley's book
250:Operation Julie is mentioned in the book
453:. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 271.
119:In October 1976, a police team based at
290:
197:, takes its name from Operation Julie.
638:
168:A three-part television drama, called
685:Hayes, Catherine (15 December 2022).
26:investigation into the production of
7:
794:Lee, Dick & Colin Pratt (1978).
362:
360:
526:Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography
211:In July 2011, Leaf Fielding's book
204:bought the film rights to the book
123:monitored a house in Seymour Road,
662:The Untold Story of Christine Bott
524:Merton, Paul (25 September 2014).
263:The Untold story of Christine Bott
14:
528:. Random House. pp. 97–99.
16:1970s UK drug ring investigation
200:In December 2010, Welsh actor
1:
798:. W. H. Allen/Virgin Books.
687:After Julie: The Kemp Tapes
477:. BBC News. 3 December 2010
406:(BBC Magazine 12 July 2011)
267:After Julie: The Kemp Tapes
859:
838:Organised crime in England
828:Lysergic acid diethylamide
301:. BBC News. 2 October 2016
191:, from their second album
65:laboratory they set up in
756:Bentley, Stephen (2016).
602:. Aberystwyth Arts Centre
367:Bentley, Stephen (2016).
323:. BBC News. 10 April 2016
111:to target Alston Hughes.
843:Organised crime in Wales
645:: CS1 maint: location (
424:. Grove Press. pp.
131:Raids, arrests and trial
775:Fielding, Leaf (2011).
579:www.theatre-wales.co.uk
347:Fielding, Leaf (2011).
213:To Live Outside the Law
739:Ebenezer, Lyn (2010).
449:Gray, Marcus (2004).
505:on 16 September 2017
194:Give 'em Enough Rope
174:Tyne Tees Television
164:Cultural references
154:Bristol Crown Court
46:Swiss bank accounts
779:. Serpent’s Tail.
621:Kay, Adam (2022).
805:978-0-491-02176-0
786:978-1-84668-796-9
750:978-1-84771-146-5
600:"Operation Julie"
460:978-0-634-08240-5
435:978-0-8021-3062-4
353:. Serpent's Tail.
224:Only When I Laugh
208:by Lyn Ebenezer.
176:and broadcast on
115:London connection
82:hydrazine hydrate
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718:. Retrieved
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604:. Retrieved
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582:. Retrieved
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507:. Retrieved
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743:. Y Lolfa.
509:11 November
235:Rob Gittins
220:Paul Merton
182:Bob Mahoney
78:Machynlleth
817:Categories
623:Undoctored
584:14 January
481:3 December
280:References
274:Acid Dream
252:Undoctored
121:RAF Hendon
52:Background
641:cite book
606:10 August
327:2 October
305:2 October
285:Footnotes
218:Comedian
189:The Clash
24:UK police
720:8 August
256:Adam Kay
144:Dordogne
550:"Julie"
39:⁄
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22:was a
231:Julie
800:ISBN
781:ISBN
762:ISBN
745:ISBN
722:2023
691:ISBN
666:ISBN
647:link
627:ISBN
608:2022
586:2023
561:2014
530:ISBN
511:2019
483:2010
455:ISBN
430:ISBN
373:ISBN
329:2016
307:2016
715:BBC
554:BBC
426:288
254:by
233:by
178:ITV
28:LSD
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