Under Cover
Fifty Years of Dirty Money, Organized Crime and the RCMP
Will be published approx. on 2. December 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
284 pages
978-0-88890-375-4 (ISBN)
Description
"Garry Clement is a national treasure. He's spent his life in service to Canada, and I guarantee he knows more about international organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and the state actors - China, Iran, Mexico, and Russia - who today pose a major national security threat to Canada. This book should be required reading by every politician and bureaucrat in Ottawa and everyone else who cares about the future of this country. Jeffrey Robinson, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Laundryman
UNDER COVER: The True Story of One Man's Fight Against Canada's Criminal Collapse - Updated Edition
By Garry Clement
Former RCMP National Director of Proceeds of Crime | Chief Compliance Officer, VersaBank
"When your enemies wear suits and your allies go silent, you're not in a system-you're in a war."
From a frigid November night in North Gower to the inner circles of Canada's criminal underworld, Garry Clement's story is not just a memoir-it's a national reckoning. In this powerful updated edition of the bestselling Under Cover, Clement adds new, harrowing chapters to a life already shaped by danger, betrayal, and unflinching integrity.
As "Bobby Spade," Garry infiltrated Vancouver's deadliest drug syndicates. What followed wasn't a hero's welcome-it was exile, death threats, and systemic betrayal. When a Crown misstep led to a contract assassin being released, Clement's life-and Canada's justice system-was irrevocably changed.
In this new edition, Garry reveals never-before-published insights into:
His role as Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at VersaBank, and what banks are missing.
The ongoing failures of FINTRAC and federal regulators to stem the flow of illicit money.
The RCMP's internal decay-exposed further by the Phantom Secure scandal and the Cameron Ortis treason case.
How organized crime, foreign influence, and political cowardice have infiltrated Canada's democratic institutions.
The damning truths buried in the Sidewinder report, silenced by CSIS and ignored by Ottawa.
With the precision of an investigator and the soul of a patriot, Garry Clement delivers a chilling message: Canada is wide open for corruption-and our leadership is asleep at the wheel.
"Picked it up and couldn't put it down, Gary... A compelling read of your accomplished career investigating drug cartels, organized crime, money laundering in Canada & working with allies overseas... Your arguments for a structural change of the RCMP are strongly & convincingly conveyed...An important work that I hope & trust will impact the national discourse on policing roles and shine a brighter light on foreign interference in Canada... Good on ya, Sir...
Ralph Maher Editor, Last Post, RCMP Veterans' Association / Past National Vice President, The Pillar Society
Booksellers take note: This is the kind of book readers will debate, share, and demand answers about. It's a must-stock title for fans of real-life espionage, true crime, and political thrillers-except every word is horrifyingly real.
"Under Cover is more than a story. It's a wake-up call for a nation on the edge."
UNDER COVER: The True Story of One Man's Fight Against Canada's Criminal Collapse - Updated Edition
By Garry Clement
Former RCMP National Director of Proceeds of Crime | Chief Compliance Officer, VersaBank
"When your enemies wear suits and your allies go silent, you're not in a system-you're in a war."
From a frigid November night in North Gower to the inner circles of Canada's criminal underworld, Garry Clement's story is not just a memoir-it's a national reckoning. In this powerful updated edition of the bestselling Under Cover, Clement adds new, harrowing chapters to a life already shaped by danger, betrayal, and unflinching integrity.
As "Bobby Spade," Garry infiltrated Vancouver's deadliest drug syndicates. What followed wasn't a hero's welcome-it was exile, death threats, and systemic betrayal. When a Crown misstep led to a contract assassin being released, Clement's life-and Canada's justice system-was irrevocably changed.
In this new edition, Garry reveals never-before-published insights into:
His role as Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at VersaBank, and what banks are missing.
The ongoing failures of FINTRAC and federal regulators to stem the flow of illicit money.
The RCMP's internal decay-exposed further by the Phantom Secure scandal and the Cameron Ortis treason case.
How organized crime, foreign influence, and political cowardice have infiltrated Canada's democratic institutions.
The damning truths buried in the Sidewinder report, silenced by CSIS and ignored by Ottawa.
With the precision of an investigator and the soul of a patriot, Garry Clement delivers a chilling message: Canada is wide open for corruption-and our leadership is asleep at the wheel.
"Picked it up and couldn't put it down, Gary... A compelling read of your accomplished career investigating drug cartels, organized crime, money laundering in Canada & working with allies overseas... Your arguments for a structural change of the RCMP are strongly & convincingly conveyed...An important work that I hope & trust will impact the national discourse on policing roles and shine a brighter light on foreign interference in Canada... Good on ya, Sir...
Ralph Maher Editor, Last Post, RCMP Veterans' Association / Past National Vice President, The Pillar Society
Booksellers take note: This is the kind of book readers will debate, share, and demand answers about. It's a must-stock title for fans of real-life espionage, true crime, and political thrillers-except every word is horrifyingly real.
"Under Cover is more than a story. It's a wake-up call for a nation on the edge."
Reviews / Votes
"Garry Clement is a national treasure. He's spent his life in service to Canada, and I guarantee he knows more about international organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and the state actors - China, Iran, Mexico, and Russia - who today pose a major national security threat to Canada. This book should be required reading by every politician and bureaucrat in Ottawa and everyone else who cares about the future of this country." -- Jeffrey Robinson * Author * Intriguing and revealing.... A dedicated police officer's enduring search for the truth! -- David Cassels * President * This book provides incredible operational details of the complex organized and financial crime cases Clement has worked on over his decades long remarkable career with the RCMP and beyond...essential and a must read. -- Scott Newark * LLB * Picked it up and couldn't put it down, Gary... A compelling read of your accomplished career investigating drug cartels, organized crime, money laundering in Canada & working with allies overseas... Your arguments for structural change of the RCMP are strongly & convincingly conveyed...An important work that I hope & trust will impact the national discourse on policing roles and shine a brighter light on foreign interference in Canada... Good on ya, Sir... -- Ralph Maher * Editor, Last Post, RCMP Veterans' Association / Past National Vice President, The Pillar Society * When I think back on my years working in counterterrorism and then in AML/CTF and Security in the private sector, what stands out are not just the operations, the investigations, or the long hours, but the people who walked that path with me. In this line of work, you quickly learn that trust and loyalty are more than just words-they are lifelines. Garry Clement is one of those rare individuals I have trusted implicitly for many years, both as a colleague and as a friend.I first came to know Garry in a professional setting, and even then, his reputation preceded him. He had the kind of presence that comes from having been in the thick of things-calm under pressure, sharp when decisions mattered most, and unshakably committed to the mission. Over time, I came to see more than just the professional. I saw a man who carried the weight of his experiences with honesty, humility, and even humor. That combination is rare in our world.
This book captures that side of Garry-the side that has lived through the adrenaline of undercover work, the frustrations of bureaucracy, and the stark reality of dealing with organized crime at its rawest. But it also reflects the man I know personally: thoughtful, candid, and deeply aware of the human cost of this work.
This book is a window into the life of someone who has stood at the crossroads where risk and responsibility collide. Garry doesn't romanticize the work, nor does he sensationalize it. He tells it as it is-because that's how he has always lived it.
For me, this book is more than just another account of undercover operations or organized crime. It is the voice of a friend I deeply respect, a colleague whose integrity has never wavered, and a professional whose insights continue to shape the way we think about crime and security today.
I am proud to introduce Garry's story, and I am even prouder to have shared parts of this journey with him. If you want to know what it really means to step into the shadows and face the dangers most people never see, you couldn't ask for a better guide than Garry Clement. -- John F. Walsh
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Self-cover
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-88890-375-4 (9780888903754)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
11/2023
Optimum Publishing International
€45.99
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Garry Clement relies on his 34 years of policing experience, having worked in roles as the National Director for the RCMP's Proceeds of Crime Program, working as an investigator and undercover operator in some of the highest organized crime levels throughout Canada as well as being Chief of Police in Cobourg, Ontario for 4-years with a perceived mandate of leading amalgamation within Northumberland County. During Garry's policing career, he received numerous awards and commendations for his investigative abilities.
Garry has authored and/or co-authored several papers in national and international publications on organized crime, money laundering and the state of policing in Canada, primarily the RCMO. He has been widely quoted in numerous investigative publications, including "The Road to Hell" by Julian Sher and most recently, "Wilful Blindness" by Sam Cooper. Garry's experiences make him an excellent, highly entertaining speaker for conferences, seminars and training programs. Garry is regularly featured in numerous television, documentary, and print media. Jeffrey Robinson is an American-born, internationally best-selling author with over 30 non-fiction and fiction titles to his credit. He's widely regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on financial crime, money laundering, and organized crime. His 1995 investigative classic The Laundrymen is credited with bringing global attention to the scale and complexity of money laundering, establishing Robinson as "a recognized expert on organized crime, dirty money, fraud and money laundering," with the British Bankers' Association naming him "the world's most important financial crime author."
He followed that foundational work with The Merger (1998), which explores organized crime's consolidation into powerful transnational conglomerates, and The Sink (2003), which delves into offshore networks and dirty money in "paradise" jurisdictions. Robinson's writings are not merely academic-they are a clarion call that the systems enabling global financial crime are deeply entrenched and often institutional.
Before becoming chief of police for the Durham Regional Police Service, he served 24 years in the ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. , including as Assistant Commissioner for Information and Identification, in the Ottawa region. White also has experience in various communities across Canada, spending nearly 19 years in northern Canada where he served as the Commanding Officer of Nunavut in his last northern posting. As chief, he was responsible for community law enforcement in Canada's national capital city. He had been chief of police for the Durham Region.
While chief he received a number of community awards including the Just One Person award and the Community Builder of the Year award.
Political CareerOn January 6, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced White's appointment to the Sendate; his appointment came into effect on February 20, 2012, in order to allow him to complete his term as Ottawa police chief. Like the other senators appointed at the time, White pledged to support the government's efforts on senate reform. White said that, even if term limits were not enacted, he would step down voluntarily after nine years (no later than February 20, 2021).
Christian Leuprecht (Ph.D, Queen's) is Class of 1965 Professor in Leadership, Department of Political Science, Royal Military College, on leave as Matthew Flinders Fellow at Flinders University in South Australia. He is a recipient of RMC's Cowan Prize for Excellence in Research and an elected member of the College of New Scholars of the Royal Society of Canada. He is president of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee 01: Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution, Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute and cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies and the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University where he is also a fellow of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations and the Queen's Centre for International and Defence Policy. An expert in security and defence, political demography, and comparative federalism and multilevel governance, he has held visiting positions in North America, Europe, and Australia, and is regularly called as an expert witness to testify before committees of Parliament.
Garry has authored and/or co-authored several papers in national and international publications on organized crime, money laundering and the state of policing in Canada, primarily the RCMO. He has been widely quoted in numerous investigative publications, including "The Road to Hell" by Julian Sher and most recently, "Wilful Blindness" by Sam Cooper. Garry's experiences make him an excellent, highly entertaining speaker for conferences, seminars and training programs. Garry is regularly featured in numerous television, documentary, and print media. Jeffrey Robinson is an American-born, internationally best-selling author with over 30 non-fiction and fiction titles to his credit. He's widely regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on financial crime, money laundering, and organized crime. His 1995 investigative classic The Laundrymen is credited with bringing global attention to the scale and complexity of money laundering, establishing Robinson as "a recognized expert on organized crime, dirty money, fraud and money laundering," with the British Bankers' Association naming him "the world's most important financial crime author."
He followed that foundational work with The Merger (1998), which explores organized crime's consolidation into powerful transnational conglomerates, and The Sink (2003), which delves into offshore networks and dirty money in "paradise" jurisdictions. Robinson's writings are not merely academic-they are a clarion call that the systems enabling global financial crime are deeply entrenched and often institutional.
Before becoming chief of police for the Durham Regional Police Service, he served 24 years in the ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. , including as Assistant Commissioner for Information and Identification, in the Ottawa region. White also has experience in various communities across Canada, spending nearly 19 years in northern Canada where he served as the Commanding Officer of Nunavut in his last northern posting. As chief, he was responsible for community law enforcement in Canada's national capital city. He had been chief of police for the Durham Region.
While chief he received a number of community awards including the Just One Person award and the Community Builder of the Year award.
Political CareerOn January 6, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced White's appointment to the Sendate; his appointment came into effect on February 20, 2012, in order to allow him to complete his term as Ottawa police chief. Like the other senators appointed at the time, White pledged to support the government's efforts on senate reform. White said that, even if term limits were not enacted, he would step down voluntarily after nine years (no later than February 20, 2021).
Christian Leuprecht (Ph.D, Queen's) is Class of 1965 Professor in Leadership, Department of Political Science, Royal Military College, on leave as Matthew Flinders Fellow at Flinders University in South Australia. He is a recipient of RMC's Cowan Prize for Excellence in Research and an elected member of the College of New Scholars of the Royal Society of Canada. He is president of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee 01: Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution, Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute and cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies and the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University where he is also a fellow of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations and the Queen's Centre for International and Defence Policy. An expert in security and defence, political demography, and comparative federalism and multilevel governance, he has held visiting positions in North America, Europe, and Australia, and is regularly called as an expert witness to testify before committees of Parliament.