Part 5 (1/2)

Keith began training as a boxer at the JT Martin Youth Centre. JT Martin was a retired boxer and armed robber who controlled the underworld in Bedfords.h.i.+re from the early 1960s until 1985. JT used his boxing club as a recruiting ground for young criminals.

1980.

Keith was spotted in police surveillance photographs of JT Martin. In the pictures, Keith is a slightly built sixteen-year-old who looks out of place amongst JT's crew of boxers and nightclub bouncers.

1981.

Keith became JT Martin's chauffeur when a previous driver was banned for speeding. Moving around with JT gave the seventeen-year-old an insight into all aspects of the drug business.

1983.

After eleven amateur fights, with a record of one win, two draws and eight defeats, Keith retired from boxing. Shortly afterwards, he married Julie Robertson, a girl he had known since infant school.

1985.

Police captured JT Martin and a number of a.s.sociates selling drugs. JT was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Keith Moore had been JT's driver for four years, but the rest of JT's crew regarded him as a wimpish hanger-on.

1986.

With JT in prison, a power struggle erupted amongst his former employees. Keith kept away from the violent struggles and developed an interest in JT's cocaine business. Cocaine was a tiny proportion of the criminal empire, which made most of its money selling heroin and cannabis. JT also owned nightclubs, pubs and casinos, as well as dozens of small businesses such as laundrettes and hairdressing salons.

1987.

The price of cocaine kept falling and supply was growing. Keith Moore was one of the first people in Britain torealise that the cocaine business was about to explode.

While his colleagues battled over heroin and nightclub profits, Keith travelled to South America and met with members of a powerful Peruvian drug cartel known as Lambayeke. He agreed to buy regular bulk s.h.i.+pments of cocaine at a discounted price. To sell this increased supply of cocaine, Keith launched a telephone delivery service, based on similar services that were thriving in the United States. It took advantage of two new technologies: mobile telephones and message pagers. Instead of having to go searching for a drug dealer, rich clients dialled a number and Keith had someone deliver drugs to their doorstep, usually within an hour.

1988.

The cocaine business was earning Keith over 10,000 per week. This cash enabled him at just 23 years of age to take effective control of JT Martin's criminal empire. Keith avoided violence whenever possible. He manipulated jealous rivals, setting them against one another. When manipulation failed, he bought rivals off by handing them parts of the business that did not interest him.

Keith's next ambition was to build his profitable cocaine business into the biggest in the country. The only part of JT's empire Keith held on to was the youth centre/boxing club in the neighbourhood where he grew up.

1989.

Keith's first son, Ringo, was born (now aged 15).

1990.

Keith's business grew tenfold in three years. Cocaine delivery expanded into Hertfords.h.i.+re and London. He also began selling wholesale quant.i.ties of cocaine to other dealers all over Britain and mainland Europe.

1992.

Julie Moore gave birth to twins, April and Keith Jr (now aged 12).

1993.

Keith's youngest child, Erin, was born (now aged 11).

1998.

Drug dealing is often a short career. Anyone who is successful attracts attention from police and customs. They usually end up behind bars.

After investigations failed to gather enough evidence, police tried to get undercover officers into Keith's inner circle. Dozens of people working for KMG have been prosecuted. Even when they have agreed to cooperate, police have never been able to produce clear evidence linking Keith Moore with his drug business. At the core of KMG, an expensive legal team and fiercely loyal deputies have so far succeeded in keeping Keith Moore out of prison.

2000.

As the cocaine business continued to thrive, Keith Moore's personal fortune was estimated at 25 million. After being arrested for non-payment of tax, he pleaded guilty to a minor charge and paid a 50,000 fine.

2001.

Julie Moore left Keith after eighteen years of marriage. Keith kept custody of the children and the family home. Julie moved into a house across the street and remains on good terms with her ex-husband.

2003.

Police launched Operation Snort, the largest taskforce of drugs officers ever a.s.sembled in Britain. The official aim was to stop the cocaine business. Unofficially, everyone knew Operation Snort was gunning for Keith Moore and KMG.

The operation descended into chaos when it uncovered corruption within police forces all over the country. Forty officers were found to have taken bribes from KMG. Eight of these were working on Operation Snort and included the Chief Superintendent who was in command of the whole operation.

Although Operation Snort is still running, its effectiveness has been blunted by infighting over the bribery allegations.

One national newspaper reporting on Operation Snort said, 'If all the corruption allegations are true, it would appear that Keith Moore has more police officers protecting him than the Queen and the Prime Minister combined.'

2004.

(Present Day) Despite a personal fortune now estimated at between 35 and 50 million, Keith Moore has shunned the trappings of the super rich. He lives with his four children in a large detached house less than twenty minutes' drive from the housing estate where he was born. His four children attend the local comprehensive school. He works from an office at home and socialises with family members and friends he has known since boyhood. His only extravagances are a collection of Porsche sports cars and a beachfront house in Miami, Florida.

MISSION REQUEST.

In early 2004, frustrated by the lack of success in bringing down KMG and outraged by police corruption, the government asked the intelligence service to find a way of infiltrating KMG at the highest level. MI5, the adult branch of British Intelligence, could see no reason why it would have any more success at this than the police. CHERUB was suggested as a method of last resort.

Keith Moore is close to his four children. Appropriately placed CHERUB agents may be able to befriend them and gather vital information.