Charles Miranda, “Deception” (Allen and Urwin, 2012)

Mark Standen was a hero to drug enforcement police. Not only was he a great guy but he was an extremely effective police officer. Unfortunately, he also became a partner in the illicit drug industry. Deception is a book that tells the story of how Standen turned to the dark side and how the Australian Federal Police were able to catch him. In his new book Deception: The True Story of the International Drug Plot that Brought Down Australia’s Top Law Enforcer Mark Standen (Allen and Urwin, 2012), Charles Miranda provides us with a very detailed story of greed and its consequences. Standen uses his knowledge of policing and techniques of investigation to put together a system that should have defeated the efforts of the police. However, he was also protecting his partners and left clues that exposed his operations. This is not just a cop who goes rogue but a professional who builds a sophisticated process of communication. Unfortunately for Standen, the underground world is inefficient and, ultimately, corrupt. He discovered that when you play there you cannot trust anyone and eventually you can be a victim. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the field of organized crime. It is a sobering story for police and gives academics an insight into the details of the industry that we rarely see. But above all that it is a great read!

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