Episodes
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Anita Anand invites you to listen to forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead’s Reith Lectures about violence. In the series, Dr Adshead addresses the most pertinent questions she has faced in her work with violence perpetrators in secure psychiatric units and prisons.
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More than half a century after Muriel McKay's abduction and murder, her body has never been found. This final episode explores the various theories about Muriel's fate - from a beach burial to a gruesome disposal on the farm. New information emerges, including a shocking claim from Arthur Hosein about Muriel's burial site.
The McKay family continues their desperate search for answers, while grappling with the media's relentless interest in the case. Jane MacSorley reflects on the role of the press in keeping Muriel's story alive and the ethical implications of true crime reporting.
Amid the speculation and theories, Muriel's children share poignant memories of their mother, bringing her to life beyond the tragic circumstances of her death.
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for McassoWith special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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Missing episodes?
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The trial of Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein for Muriel McKay's murder begins in September 1970. Despite the lack of a body, prosecutors build a strong case using forensic evidence. Nizamodeen makes limited admissions, while Arthur spins wild tales.
The brothers are found guilty, but the verdict brings little comfort to the McKay family. For decades, they struggle with unresolved grief and unanswered questions about Muriel's fate.
Then, in 2021, Nizamodeen resurfaces in Trinidad, seemingly ready to reveal the truth. The family, desperate for closure, engages with him. Nizamodeen claims Muriel died of a heart attack and indicates where he buried her. His story divides the family – some believe him, others are sceptical. A police search based on his information gets underway...
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for McassoWith special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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After weeks of dead ends, police finally have a breakthrough in Muriel McKay's kidnapping case. A suspicious blue Volvo leads them to Rooks Farm in rural Hertfordshire. As they raid the property, they find mounting evidence implicating brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein. But there's still no sign of Muriel herself.
As detectives interrogate the brothers, a disturbing picture emerges of their backgrounds and possible motives. Meanwhile, the search of the sprawling farmland intensifies. Police are now certain they won't find Muriel alive, but can they find enough evidence to bring a murder charge without a body? The press descend on the scene, complicating the investigation. As the case builds, the question remains - what has happened to Muriel McKay?
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for McassoWith special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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After weeks of agonising negotiations, Muriel McKay's kidnapper finally agrees to collect a ransom. The police see their chance to catch M3 and rescue Muriel. They devise an elaborate plan, with undercover officers posing as Muriel's family members, to make the drop.
Have they finally out-manoeuvred the elusive M3?
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter's night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch's wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for McassoWith special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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Muriel McKay’s kidnapper – who calls himself M3 – has stopped calling, and the McKay family are desperate. They use Alick’s media contacts to keep the story at the forefront of the tabloid press, placing rumours designed to make the kidnappers panic, even getting in touch with a clairvoyant via a family friend.
But what the press don’t know is that Muriel McKay was kidnapped by mistake. M3’s real target, he says, was Rupert Murdoch’s wife.
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for McassoWith special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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The day after Muriel McKay is snatched from her home, the police gather all the physical evidence they can, and tabloid reporters crowd the pavements outside the house, trying to get a piece of the action.
Muriel’s family are desperately trying to make sense of calls by a mysterious man, M3, who claims he has Muriel, and that he’ll return her if the family delivers him a £1 million ransom. It’s only when he sends them a letter, in Muriel’s own handwriting, that they know for sure he’s the most credible suspect. Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war. One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved. Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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In December 1969, Alick McKay, an executive at Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited, arrives home to find his wife, Muriel, had vanished without a trace. He calls the police to report her missing, and soon places another call too – this time to the editor of The Sun newspaper, Larry Lamb, a colleague.
Lamb’s presence only raises police suspicions - has Muriel really disappeared, or is this just a press set-up, an effort to boost circulation? Then the phone rings. A mysterious man calling himself M3 says that he has taken Muriel McKay and he’s holding her to ransom for £1 million.
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war. One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved. Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
-
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter’s night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch’s wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon FarquharProduced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan OyinkaSound design and mixing by Basil OxtobyStory editor: Andrew DicksonExecutive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami TzabarDevelopment by Paul RussellVoice acting by Red FrederickOriginal music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
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Barzan Majeed thought he was safe in Iraq but all that changes following the release of this series. Police and prosecutors in Iraq start their own investigation and before long they announce dramatic developments. For reporter Sue Mitchell, and her colleague, former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, the news signals possibilities for securing justice for some of those harmed in boat and lorry crossings.
This a bonus episode which covers developments following this BBC investigation. In the Kurdish controlled areas of Northern Iraq, Barzan Majeed's smuggling operations come under intense scrutiny. The Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, tells the programme that he hopes for a closer working relationship with Europe when it comes to tackling this problem. He has met with bereaved relatives and seen the pain and loss that comes with migrant journeys at the hands of smugglers like Scorpion.
For the UK’s National Crime Agency, the developments signal a real possibility of securing justice for some of the families who have suffered. This is also a chance to progress international links that could result in further arrests. There are other cases like Barzan’s - where smugglers have been tried in their absence by courts in Europe after escaping arrest and returning to Iraq. Those names have now been passed to the authorities in Iraq.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeAssistant Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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Scorpion has been spotted in Iraq and Sue and Rob head straight there - hoping to find his hiding place and lure him out. Will they finally be able to confront him with his crimes?
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than twenty of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeAssistant Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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Sue and Rob uncover new evidence linking Scorpion to deaths at sea. They track him to a luxury seaside villa and hear from a woman close to him about the drugs and money he craved.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than twenty of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeAssistant Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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Word comes that Scorpion has been spotted in Turkey and new leads take the team into the heart of the smuggling network, with dramatic developments as they stake out an address.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than twenty of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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The search takes us deep into Scorpion's gang and the men arrested and imprisoned for people smuggling and then things take an unexpected turn as we find and confront his brother.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than twenty of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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The job of policing smuggling gangs is obstructed by a network of well-wishers who want to help refugees and sometimes end up helping the gangs - has this happened with Scorpion?
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than twenty of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and volunteer aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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It's already late when the BBC team get a tip off that Scorpion's network of complicit lorry drivers might be operating from a new pick-up point. They stay hidden as events unfold.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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Sue and Rob hear transcripts of police surveillance tapes, broadcast for the first time as officers eavesdrop on calls between members of the Scorpion people smuggling gang.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice to those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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This is the hunt for a people smuggler, codenamed Scorpion, one of the central characters controlling the transport of migrants from the European mainland into the UK. It is a tense and disturbing investigation, recorded as it happened, in real time.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped. BBC journalist Sue Mitchell, and former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice for those families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
As they edge ever closer they meet the people helping and supporting Scorpion, they unpick the financial side of his business funding his luxury life, they start to understand the man himself and to garner enough clues to trace his whereabouts.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
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The dramatic hunt for one of Europe's most-wanted people smugglers, recorded as it unfolds.
BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and ex-soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, go on a search for a crime boss: a people smuggler on the run, whose codename is Scorpion. He is one of the central characters controlling the transport of migrants from the European mainland into the UK.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped.
Sue and Rob, two seasoned investigators, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice for the families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
As they edge ever closer, they meet the people helping and supporting Scorpion and unpick the financial side of his business funding his luxury life. As they start to understand the man himself, can they garner enough clues to trace his whereabouts?
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel MoorsThe Editor is Philip SellarsCommissioning Editor is Daniel ClarkeCommissioning Exec Tracy WilliamsAssistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will DrysdaleOriginal music is by Mom Tudieand Sound Design is by Tom Brignell Brignell
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In this last programme of the series, the community of Cayucos is watching on and wondering how things will develop. Is there a way to handle a situation like this, where homelessness and wealth collide. Where a damaged man and a frail older woman come together to share a life?
The unusual romance between Dave and Carolyn captured the attention of the BBC Journalist Sue Mitchell as it was unfolding on her street. She spends a lot of time in California, she married an American and her award-winning journalism has been about the lives of people like Dave who inhabit the dangerous margins of society.
New episodes will be released on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Intrigue first on BBC Sounds. https://bbc.in/3WEQS5W
Million Dollar Lover is produced at BBC Audio by the team behind The Boy in the Woods and is presented by Sue Mitchell.
The series is scripted by Winifred Robinson; the producers are Sue Mitchell and Joel Moors; the dramaturg is Flo Dessau and sound design is by Tom Brignall. The editor is Philip Sellars.
With special thanks to BBC Radio 4's Commissioning Editor Daniel Clarke.
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