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A Crime Lord Offered To Kill The Supplier Of Leah Betts' Ecstacy

A Crime Lord Offered To Kill The Supplier Of Leah Betts' Ecstacy

A month later they were dead.

James Dawson

James Dawson

Leah Betts died of an ecstasy overdose in November 1995. According to the autopsy, as well as taking the drug, she had drank approximately 12 pints of water which caused swelling on the brain, resulting in her going into intensive care before passing away.

She took the pill at her 18th birthday party, purchased at a nightclub in Basildon, Essex, and the case, at the time, was national news.

And now more revelations have come out regarding the systemic infiltration of senior crime lords in the Metropolitan Police Force after it has reportedly emerged that a crime lord offered to kill those responsible for selling the drug to a now-retired police officer, as reported by Tom Tom Pettifor at the Mirror.

The same policeman was also bugged as part of an operation three years later, though has never actually been charged of any wrongdoing.

Less than a month later, on December 7, 1995, dealers Tony Tucker, 38, Pat Tate, 37 and Craig Rolfe, 26 were all found dead on a track in their 4x4 in Essex.

Tony Tucker. Credit: PA

Craig Rolfe. Credit: PA

The three of them were controlling the supply of the drug to the Basildon nightclub where she purchased it, so it appears the crime lord made good on his or her promise.

Only problem is he or she really shouldn't be allegedly working in cahoots with the police to bring about the murder of drug dealers.

In a tape recorded by Scotland Yard's Special Intelligence Section, part of the report states that the dealer spoke to a retired officer, with this being the premise:

"On 16th November 1995 [ex-officer named]... met [crime lord named] who offered the hand of friendship, by offering to take out the supplier of the drugs to Leah Betts, who died of an ­overdose."

On the same day Leah passed away, the crime lord told the policeman that they could "take out" those responsible.

This revelation has reportedly come out of a bigger investigation from Scotland Yard in a report named Operation Tiberius, which looked at how senior gang members were able to infiltrate the Metropolitan Police "at will."

Michael Steele, 74, and Jack Whomes, 55, were convicted of the murders of the three men but are claiming wrongful conviction.

Jack Whomes. Credit: PA

The pair of them were convicted in 1996 on evidence provided by fraud convict Darren Nicholls, who claims he was the driver of the getaway vehicle, though Billy Jasper had already claimed to be the driver, offered 5K to drive a hitman (note singular) to the murder scene. He was never charged of this.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson told the Mirror: "We are not prepared to discuss publicly the details of Operation Tiberius, produced in 2002. It is a secret document."

Featured Image Credit: PA