Cut-Throat: The Vicious Life of Rod McLean - Mercenary, Drug Baron and MI5 Front Man

by Wayne Thallon

Fact is often stranger than fiction—and when escaped drug baron and MI5 agent Roddy McLean was found dead in a London flat after two months on the run, even Hollywood couldn't have scripted it better. McLean had only served 7 years of his 28-year sentence, following a 1996 sting operation off the Caithness coast in which a Customs officer lost his life. Described as one of the most ruthless and important figures on the country's drug scene, McLean had found his security status downgraded and had been transferred to HMP Leyhill, an open prison which had seen 82 prisoners escape in 2002 alone. Only four days after the media had accused the security services of helping him to escape, McLean's body was found. But not only did it take the Metropolitan Police 29 days to make it public, it took them that long to inform Avon and Somerset—the very police force who were still trying to recapture him. Why? Who was McLean and what made him so important? Cut-Throat is a truly unique account of his life and death told in the first-person using material from McLean's diary.

255 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lachlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Rod was a friend of my father I found him to always be nice. I found the book very interesting and a riveting read. The author being his nephew gave it a very personal touch with more first hand information that any other author could have given.
Made me wonder who my own father was in his youth.
I'd recommend this just for the story line.

[Archie Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The incredible story of the Edinburgh criminal who led a life that you could easily make a decent action movie off, that's if anyone would believe it. Truth is often much wilder than fiction and Rod's life proved that.