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Kent Detective Nailed Kray Twins & Train Robbers
11 Jan
Summary
- Detective Ernest Millen apprehended notorious criminals like the Kray twins.
- Millen's policing career began after a personal brush with the law.
- He was instrumental in dismantling the Richardson Gang in South London.
Ernest Millen CBE, a detective from Thanet, Kent, played a pivotal role in law enforcement, impacting London and the wider county significantly. His career, marked by the pursuit of notorious figures, began after a youthful incident involving the sale of arsenic which indirectly led to a murder charge and Millen's eventual entry into the police force. This early brush with tragedy spurred his determination to uphold justice.
After joining the Metropolitan Police, Millen honed his detective skills in London's East End post-World War II. His acumen for detail, sharpened by accountancy studies, allowed him to unravel complex financial crimes, including a vicar's large-scale embezzlement. These successes paved the way for his most celebrated cases in the 1960s.
Millen became known as a premier "gangbuster," leading operations that dismantled criminal enterprises. He was instrumental in the capture of the Kray twins, pursued the Great Train Robbers, and broke up the Richardson Gang. Despite facing dangerous criminals, Millen remained focused, later retiring to a quiet life in Birchington, passing away in 1988.
