UNDERCOVER: THE COP WHO LIVED A LIE

For two years, Queensland police officer Jason Somerville lived a dangerous double life. Under the assumed identity of Michael Bates, he posed as a heroin dealer, infiltrated Brisbane's drug trade, befriended hardened criminals and earned their trust to gather evidence against them. He even went undercover in a police cell to obtain a confession from an accused double murderer. But living a lie comes at a price. When the operations ended, Somerville discovered that leaving his undercover identity behind was far harder than adopting it. The constant danger, deception and paranoia had taken a psychological toll. His marriage eventually collapsed, and the effects of his undercover years followed him long after the operations were over. Jason discusses his new book, Undercurrent: The Hidden Cost of Going Undercover, revealing the close calls, moral dilemmas and personal sacrifices involved in infiltrating Australia's criminal underworld. https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000k7A78 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.