Whale Hunting

"Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that [...] he is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse." Some fighting talk from Janet Malcolm, back in 1989. But is there truth in her words? This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley talks to Steve Fishman, the legendary journalist who got big names like fraudster Bernie Madoff and killer Son of Sam to open up. Steve's latest podcast My Friend, The Serial Killer reflects on his first big break in journalism, which came about after a close encounter with serial killer Robert Carr. He talks about why the story has continued to trouble him, and what it was like to revisit his early reporting decades later. Bradley and Steve also discuss the intimacy of telling stories in podcasts, how to get sources to talk, and the careful balance between sincerity, compassion and ruthless reporting.To listen to Steve's podcast, search for Smoke Screen: My Friend, The Serial Killer in your favourite podcast app. There's also the special director's cut of his show Empire on Blood, with three new episodes, coming soon to The Burden feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

No nation faced more devastating consequences in the aftermath of 9/11 than Afghanistan. At least, that’s what Sune Rasmussen observed in his six years living and reporting from the country in the midst of its upheaval. This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley Hope speaks with Sune about his time in Afghanistan and his new book on the Allied invasion, 20 Years: Hope, War, and the Betrayal of an Afghan Generation. Together, they discuss what it was like living in Afghanistan during the war, why the Taliban continues to appeal to some young Afghans, and what Western reporting often gets wrong about Afghanistan, its people, and its plight. Sune’s book, 20 Years: Hope, War, and the Betrayal of an Afghan Generation, is available for pre-order online now.For more from Whale Hunting, make sure to follow the podcast – and you can subscribe to our newsletter at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Xenia Rakovshik, a journalist, discusses the 'Sudden Russian Death Syndrome' among the Russian elite post Ukraine invasion. They explore theories behind mysterious deaths, potential motives, and challenges of speaking out in Putin's regime.

In 2013, US-based Smithfield Foods – the world's largest pork producer – was bought by a Chinese firm for nearly $5 billion. But was it just a run-of-the-mill acquisition for a big Chinese company, or was there more to the story? It was a question that would send investigative reporter Nate Halverson down a rabbit hole that exposed a hidden war across the world over two vital resources: food and water. This week on Whale Hunting, Tom Wright welcomes Nate to discuss The Grab, his new documentary delving into global conspiracies to control food and water, spanning everything from China’s acquisition of US pig farms to Saudi investors exploiting Arizona’s aquifers. Nate also shares his discoveries about Blackwater mercenary Erik Prince, what Putin’s invasion of Ukraine means for world wheat supplies, and how food insecurity and climate change will make fresh water the 21st century’s new oil.The Grab is available to stream now on Apple TV and Amazon Prime in the US, and is coming soon to screens elsewhere in the world. Find out more at www.magpictures.com/thegrab.For more from Whale Hunting, make sure to follow the podcast – and you can subscribe to our newsletter at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

This week on Whale Hunting, we're bringing you a special episode from Project Brazen's archives that asks: How did an Ivy League activist become a global fugitive? Whale Hunting host Bradley Hope first met Adrian Hong in 2011. In this audio short, Bradley recounts his first meeting with Adrian, a Yale drop-out who led an underground organization working to undermine Kim Jong-un's regime by helping top North Korean diplomats defect. After a fake kidnapping of a top North Korean diplomat in Madrid went awry, a wanted poster for Adrian was circulated by the U.S. Marshals, sending him into hiding.Bradley talks with Christopher Ahn, the only person to be arrested after the botched kidnapping. Christopher’s life has been upturned in the aftermath of the Madrid incident, and he is currently fighting extradition to Spain. To learn more about the unbelievable story of Adrian, Christopher and Free Joseon, visit www.rebelandthekingdom.com or find The Rebel and The Kingdom online and in all good bookshops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Dr Ruja Ignatova has been on the run since 2017 after orchestrating one of the biggest scams in history. This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley chats to Jamie Bartlett, the author and broadcaster who brought Ruja's shocking story into the mainstream with the hit podcast The Missing Cryptoqueen. Her OneCoin scam was somewhere between a crypto rug pull and a multi-level marketing scheme that pulled in ordinary retail investors to the tune of $4 billion. In this episode, Bradley chats to Jamie about his unorthodox journey into podcasting, from tracking fringe movements on Facebook to digging into the dark net, and his theory that radical online groups are often the first to embrace new technology. They also look back at how Jamie initially came across Ruja's scam, and how the story of the missing cryptoqueen continues to evolve five years on from the podcast's launch.Want more from Whale Hunting? Head to our website at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com to subscribe to our newsletter delving into the murky worlds of money and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Think of your favorite mafia movie or narco show. Then think of its female characters. How many of them fall into the following categories? 1) long suffering wife 2) hot girlfriend 3) victim of crime. Probably a majority, right? But like any other industry, there are women out there running drug operations — even building empires — and journalist Deborah Bonello has been following their stories in Latin America for some time. In fact, she’s even written a book about them. This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley talks to Deborah about the women that prompted her to write the book, from ruthless Valle cartel leader Doña Digna to El Chapo’s right-hand woman Guadalupe Fernandez Valencia. They also discuss how Deborah came to report on the narcotics business, what it’s like to piss off a cartel boss with your work — and why we can’t help but root for female Narca bosses. Deborah’s book, Narcas: The Secret Rise of Women in Latin America's Cartels, is available now online and in all good bookshops. For more from Whale Hunting, make sure to follow the podcast – and you can subscribe to our newsletter at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Gangsters of the past may have headed to their nearest payphone to make risky calls, but modern day criminals have a much more convenient option: encrypted cellphones. The question is, who makes these phones and secure apps? In 2018, one phone app came along that was specifically marketed to criminal clientele. It was called Anom, and its mass adoption by organized crime groups around the world would eventually lead to the biggest sting in history. This week on Whale Hunting, investigative reporter Joseph Cox unravels the full story, explaining what criminals loved about Anom, the questionable decision to allow serious crimes to continue as evidence was collected, and even gangsters' favorite emojis.Anom is the topic of Joseph's new book, Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever, which is out now online and in all good bookshops.Want more from Whale Hunting? Head to our website at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com to subscribe to our newsletter delving into the murky worlds of money and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Like night needs day, criminals have always needed money launderers. But how is the digital revolution changing the laundering business? This week on Whale Hunting, host Bradley Hope speaks to Geoff White, author of the new book Rinsed, about the increasingly sophisticated digital skills used by money launderers around the world. Together, they discuss how the industry has embraced new technology, from online brokers to methods like layering and using crypto mixers — as well as jumping into some of the most intriguing cases from Rinsed, including a Manchester drug trafficking group and a group of ingenious North Korean hackers. Geoff's book, Rinsed, is out online and in all good bookshops from 13 June.Want more from Whale Hunting? Head to our website at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com to subscribe to our newsletter delving into the murky worlds of money and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Many journalists have that one story they just can't let drop. For Nicky Woolf, it was this one. In December 2014, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, horror unfolded at the final night of Midwest Furfest, the world’s largest convention for Furries. There's an attack. Poisonous levels of chlorine gas sweep through the hotel corridors, nineteen people are hospitalized and hundreds are evacuated. Hazmat teams trace the gas to a stairwell, where they find the remains of a chemical bomb. But almost a decade later, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. This week, on Whale Hunting, host Bradley Hope interviews Nicky Woolf about his determination to unravel this unsolved case, leading to the creation of his new podcast, Fur & Loathing. Together, they discuss building trust with the Furry community, pursuing suspects, and understanding what sidelined subcultures can teach us about societies darkest elements.To listen to Nicky's new podcast, search for Fur & Loathing in your favourite podcast app, visit the Brazen channel in Apple Podcasts, or go to brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing.For more from Whale Hunting, follow the podcast wherever you listen – and you can subscribe to our newsletter at whalehunting.projectbrazen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/