The new podcast series explores how former British Army soldiers have become smugglers of people working with UK-based organized crime gangs in Albania and Vietnam.
Known as “Nick,” he has been to prison twice for his crimes.
BBC Radio 4, Shadow World: The Smuggler's 10-part series will be published by investigative journalist Annabel Deas.
It hears directly from the perpetrator to reveal his motivations, methods, and the consequences of putting the lives of hopeless people at risk.
The investigation reveals that the smuggling techniques Nick is still possible today, explaining how easy it is for smugglers to take migrants to the UK without being caught. The method Nick used is rarely asked.
Throughout the series, he reveals how he illegally smuggled immigrants into cross-channel ferries in cars and trucks, and how he uses private marinas to take migrants to the UK hidden inside yachts.
The study also revealed the ease with which foreigners with previous criminal records could operate international smuggling rings in the UK. Nick first involved an organized crime gang in Albania based near London, and then a previous convicted Vietnamese woman to run a cannabis farm in the UK.
Annabel Deas said:
“I thought I knew who the smugglers were and what they did, but I was completely wrong. My investigation shows that Britons go deep into the hidden crime landscape of Britain, entangled with criminal gangs in Albania and Vietnam, where authorities were able to operate with impunity using techniques that seem helpless.”
Commissioning Editor Daniel Clark adds: “This series is very open-eyed and reveals the internal mechanisms of how smugglers operate near their homes. When there is so much discussion about the immigration crisis, this series explores the ways smugglers use.
Shadow World: Smugglers will begin on Monday, May 26th at 1:45pm on BBC Radio 4 and be available at BBC Sounds.
