The Crime Agents
Global
If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this.
The Crime Agents, the new podcast from the makers of The News Agents, goes beyond the headlines to uncover the truth behind crime that affects all of us. Why is violence rising? Why is public trust in the police collapsing? And what’s really driving young people to kill each other?
Hosted by two insiders who have spent their lives chasing the answers, this is your front-row seat to the realities of crime today. Neil Basu, the former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, brings unparalleled experience from the front lines of law enforcement. Andy Hughes, LBC’s Crime Correspondent, has spent two decades exposing the criminal underworld as an award-winning investigative journalist.
Each week, The Crime Agents dives deep into the stories you think you know - from foiled terror plots and unsolved murders, to gang culture, far-right extremism, and the tactics police use to crack the toughest cases. With over 50 years of combined experience, Neil and Andy don’t just report on crime - they’ve lived it.
For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com
The Crime Agents, the new podcast from the makers of The News Agents, goes beyond the headlines to uncover the truth behind crime that affects all of us. Why is violence rising? Why is public trust in the police collapsing? And what’s really driving young people to kill each other?
Hosted by two insiders who have spent their lives chasing the answers, this is your front-row seat to the realities of crime today. Neil Basu, the former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, brings unparalleled experience from the front lines of law enforcement. Andy Hughes, LBC’s Crime Correspondent, has spent two decades exposing the criminal underworld as an award-winning investigative journalist.
Each week, The Crime Agents dives deep into the stories you think you know - from foiled terror plots and unsolved murders, to gang culture, far-right extremism, and the tactics police use to crack the toughest cases. With over 50 years of combined experience, Neil and Andy don’t just report on crime - they’ve lived it.
For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 18, 2025 • 20min
Q&A: Why is it so hard to secure a rape conviction?
In this week's Q&A episode, Andy and Neil answer your questions on why the conviction rate for rape and other violence against women and girls is so low - and give their verdict on whether social media and the 'manosphere' is making it more dangerous than ever to be a woman. Neil also explains why he thinks the way rape is investigated in this country needs to be fundamentally changed. They also answer questions on whether police rewards are ever actually paid out, if it's fair to say that the media is quicker to highlight violence at Notting Hill Carnival than at other major events, and how football hooligans are using social media to recruit members and organise fights.Neil also opens up about why he feels he could and should have done more to call out institutional racism in policing while he was still in the job. Have a question for a future episode? Email it to thecrimeagents@global.com or post it on social media: @thecrimeagents
Sep 15, 2025 • 28min
SPECIAL REPORT: What really happened at Tommy Robinson's rally
Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march was supposed to be in the name of free speech.Around 150,000 people attended the protest in central London this weekend. The far right activist said he wanted it to be a family event with no violence or alcohol. Andy and the Crime Agents team went down to find out for themselves. This special report features the voices of the protestors on the march, and the moment violence broke out.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Sep 10, 2025 • 43min
The secret world of child terrorists
In the last year, a child has been arrested almost every week by counter-terrorism police. That's a record - but why is this happening? And who is trying to radicalise these children? In this special episode, Andy speaks exclusively to an undercover intelligence officer to find out more about this shocking rise in minors being held on terror charges. Neil gives his reaction to the revelation that kids as young as 11 have been accused of these crimes - and explains why the severity of the extreme right-wing threat is growing compared to when he was running counter-terrorism policing. Andy and Neil also reveal why Russia and other hostile states are behind many of the attempts to spread this hateful, terrorist material online. Later, they discuss whether the government should u-turn on its decision to proscribe Palestine Action after the group's latest protest led to yet another record number of arrests. And finally: were the police too heavy-handed when they arrested comedy writer Graham Linehan last week? And what of Nigel Farage claiming the UK is becoming like North Korea?Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Sep 3, 2025 • 31min
The real life Line of Duty: how to catch corrupt cops
If you've ever watched Line of Duty and wondered how realistic AC-12 really is, then this is the episode for you. For the first time, Neil takes us behind the scenes of his four years working in anti-corruption units - and reveals the impact it had on his popularity among his fellow officers.Andy and Neil also examine why there is such a history of corruption within the police, and Neil assesses whether policing is more honest now than when he started his career 35 years ago. Later, they discuss whether the methods used in TV dramas such as Line of Duty are an accurate representation of how detectives root out corrupt officers from their ranks in real life - and Neil and Andy reveal their all-time favourite cop shows. Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Aug 27, 2025 • 42min
'Two-tier' policing: are cops tougher on some protesters than others?
All summer, Britain's police have been kept busy by a range of protests. From demonstrations outside asylum hotels, to marches in support of Palestine Action, thousands of people have taken to the streets to make their voices heard from across the political spectrum. But have the police handled these protests even-handedly?To answer that, Andy and Neil go back to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and the vigil for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in 2021, to look at the origins of so-called 'two-tier' policing and why these events are so hard to keep under control. Neil takes us inside the Gold Command Centre to explain how officers prepare for major demonstrations, and Andy reveals the protest which made him feel more unsafe than he ever had before in the UK. Later, Andy gives us a firsthand account of this year's Notting Hill Carnival - and he and Neil discuss whether the debate about where the event should be held in the future has gone away for good.
Aug 20, 2025 • 42min
What’s the future of Notting Hill Carnival?
Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street festival. It's been a fixture of London's cultural scene for decades and it's attended by millions every August Bank Holiday. But the event also regularly attracts negative headlines, with several murders and many more violent incidents in the last few years. So should Carnival be allowed to continue in its current form? On the eve of this year's event, Andy and Neil take a look at the history of Notting Hill Carnival and why it's so important for Britain's Caribbean community. They also discuss the idea of moving the festival to a different venue, and the possibility of a Hillsborough-style crush taking place if changes aren't made to the current format. Plus Andy and Neil reveal why officers consider the event 'unpoliceable' and suggest what can be done to make Carnival safer in the future. Later, Neil explains how the festival's Gold Commander once got into a social media spat with Stormzy - and lost.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Aug 18, 2025 • 24min
Q&A: Should police reveal suspects' ethnicities?
The Q&A is back! In this week's episode, Andy and Neil answer your questions on one of the major talking points from last week: an announcement of new guidance suggesting police should reveal the ethnicity of suspects in 'high-profile and sensitive' cases. Is greater transparency a step forward? Or could this lead to more racial tensions in the UK? Tune in to hear which way Andy and Neil think it will go.Plus: has social media helped or hindered counter-terror police in their efforts to foil terror plots? Is it time to consider decriminalising drug use? And is there such a thing as a 'charming' serious criminal? Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Email it to thecrimeagents@global.com or send it via social media: @thecrimeagents on all major platforms
Aug 13, 2025 • 41min
Cocaine and punching police horses: inside football hooliganism
You've seen The Football Factory and Green Street. You remember the chaotic scenes at Wembley for the Euro 2020 final. And for years you've heard hooliganism described as 'The English Disease'. But what is the reality of football hooliganism in the UK in 2025? This week, Andy tells the story of when he infiltrated one of the country's most notorious football firms, and Neil explains how even experienced police officers were shocked by the volume of Class A drugs being used by so-called fans who forced their way into Wembley back in 2021. Plus Andy reveals why the rise of the far-right briefly led to a drop in the number of violent incidents and arrests at football matches - and why those numbers are now on the rise again as the new Premier League season gets underway. Later, they discuss whether there's any justification for cash-strapped police forces footing the bill for policing football, when billionaire-owned clubs spend their money on transfers instead. Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
Aug 11, 2025 • 30min
Policing, politics, prejudice: 30 years on the frontline
In this week's bonus episode, Andy quizzes Neil on some of the most memorable moments from his 30 year policing career. For example, Neil tells the harrowing story behind his most memorable murder case - the 2003 shooting of drug dealer Tony Byfield and his 7 year old daughter, Toni-Ann - and the unlikely way he and his team eventually cracked the case. Neil also explains why being too outspoken cost him the chance to become Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police - aka the country's top cop - and how his ethnicity counted against him at every stage of his policing career.Later, Neil finally tells Andy how he got his nickname of 'Bash' - and reveals the one key trait all police officers need to survive in a job that pushes you to the limit nearly every single day. Have a question for the next bonus episode of The Crime Agents? Send it to thecrimeagents@global.comFollow us on social media: @thecrimeagents on all major platforms
Aug 6, 2025 • 34min
Inside a Manhunt: on the tail of an armed drug dealer
When a criminal goes on the run, what do police do to try and catch them? In this episode, Andy is given exclusive access to a Met Police firearms unit who are on the tail of an armed drug dealer. Listen to find out exactly what happens when a manhunt starts - and whether the police can get their man.Later, Andy and Neil look back on one of the most famous British manhunts of all: when Raoul Moat when on the run back in 2010. Andy explains how Gazza and Ray Mears ended up with cameo roles in the story that gripped the nation, while Neil explains what police learned from the mistakes they made in that most high-profile of cases. Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagentsSend Andy and Neil a question to thecrimeagents@global.com
