The unresolved disappearance of Teresa Drake, a 22-year-old British secretary, in August 1979 continues to haunt her family, with new revelations suggesting possible involvement by U.S. intelligence agencies and a deliberate effort to suppress information. Drake vanished along with four others, including her boss and rumored lover, oil trader Aladin Hassan Bahri, when their private plane disappeared en route from Athens to Jeddah.
Despite numerous theories over the past 47 years—ranging from being an MI6 agent to being held hostage, or even secretly married to Bahri—no definitive explanation has been provided to Drake's family. The wreckage of the plane was eventually discovered deep in the Egyptian desert eight years after the disappearance, but offered no conclusive answers.
Teresa Drake's sister, Elizabeth Hammond, exclusively shared her family's decades-long quest for truth with the Daily Mail, likening the surrounding mystery to a "James Bond novel on speed." Hammond highlighted her suspicion that her sister may have been recruited by MI6, noting that Drake had recently left the Army, a common recruitment ground for intelligence services. She recalled a cryptic comment from her sister at Christmas 1978: "I'm so excited, Lizzie, but I can't really tell you what I'm doing." A distressing phone call to their grandmother days before the flight, where Teresa reportedly said, "Tell Daddy I'm coming home, I'm scared, this is my last flight," further fueled fears that she was in danger and aware of the risks.
Conflicting accounts emerged in the years following the disappearance. Six months after Drake vanished, an individual claiming ties to security services informed her father that she had been recruited by MI6. However, other claims suggested she was alive and held hostage, with one report of a ransom note demanding £6 million for Drake and Bahri. Some sources also consistently reported her death.
One prominent theory suggested the plane was hijacked by forces linked to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, allegedly acting on behalf of the U.S. to disrupt a significant oil-and-arms deal between Bahri's company, Babanaft, and another party. According to this account, the plane was diverted, and all passengers were killed upon landing.
Adding to the intrigue, the Drake family reported receiving disturbing warnings. Photographs of Elizabeth were sent to her father with a threat, "Shut up, or she's next." Later, a man approached Elizabeth on the street, warning her to tell her father that the family's location was known and he should cease his inquiries. These events left Elizabeth feeling unsafe and distrustful for years.
Furthermore, personal possessions of Teresa's, specifically photographs from her flat in Athens, were stolen during a break-in at the family home, while more valuable items were left untouched. This incident deepened the family's suspicion that certain information was being deliberately sought or concealed.
In a significant development, the British government reportedly issued a D-notice, effectively a request to the media to withhold sensitive information, on coverage of Drake's disappearance. Hammond believes this was to protect secrets potentially involving both British and U.S. interests. While the D-notice curtailed media attention, it also meant the family was not consulted and remained largely in the dark.
For Elizabeth Hammond, the persistent lack of definitive answers is a profound source of pain. She continues to appeal for clarity, stating, "We deserve the truth and, at the very least, to have the redacted files given to us without the documents being redacted!" Her father died without ever knowing the fate of his daughter, a situation Elizabeth described as "horrific."
Drake, who served on the front lines in Northern Ireland before her move to Athens, is remembered by her sister as a rule-breaker who lived life to the fullest. The family's ongoing search for truth aims not only to honor Teresa's memory but also to provide closure and potentially help others facing similar circumstances.
