True Crime Reports

Esmond Bradley Martin spent decades going undercover in the dangerous world of ivory and rhino horn trafficking, risking his life to expose shadowy smuggling rings and the powerful figures protecting them. But just as he was preparing to reveal his most explosive findings yet, Esmond was found murdered in his grand Nairobi home.  Was this the revenge of an illegal wildlife syndicate he’d finally crossed, or is there more to Esmond’s death? Was it because of his work - or was it a different reason altogether? In this episode: Dr Paula Kahumbu, (@paulakahumbu), conservationist and campaigner Dan Stiles, (@Kenyadan10), Wildlife Trade Investigator Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez Production Manager: Bronte Baskin Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf  Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman, Catherine Nouhan, and Rached El-Moctar Audio editing by Alan Leer Music composition by Tom Biddle Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

After her son was kidnapped in 1988, a mother spent 32 years looking for him. Never giving up, she put up over 100,000 flyers and travelled across the country. But little did she know, she wasn’t alone in this nightmare.  As many as 200,000 children go missing in China every year, a number that links back to the 1970s, the One Child Policy and a dangerous industry of child trafficking. What’s happening to China’s children?  In this episode:  Nikwi Hoogland, (@mynameislifang), Founder, Adoptiepedia Jingxian Wang, (@notts_jingxian), Child Trafficking Expert Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez Production Manager: Bronte Baskin Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf  Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Catherine Nouhan Audio editing by Alan Leer Music composition by Tom Biddle Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Ross Ulbricht built an empire in the shadows—a sprawling digital bazaar called The Silk Road, hidden on the dark web. There, drugs, weapons, and stolen secrets flowed freely, all paid for in untraceable cryptocurrency. To his global clientele, he was a legend: the Dread Pirate Roberts. But after a dramatic arrest and a staggering double life sentence, Ulbricht’s fate took another twist. Just days into his second term, President Trump pardoned him, sparking outrage and debate. So, did he deserve his punishment? Did justice prevail, or was power at play? And how did a digital outlaw become the ultimate wild card in America’s justice system? In this episode:  Nicholas Cristin (@nc2y), Online Crime Professor at Carnegie Mellon University David Yaffe-Bellany (@yaffebellany), Technology Reporter for the New York Times Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez Production Manager: Bronte Baskin Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf  Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Catherine Nouhan Audio editing by Alan Leer Music composition by Tom Biddle Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

Far out in the Pacific, Pitcairn Island was once seen as an untouched paradise.  But beneath the tranquil surface, police uncovered years of devastating abuse—crimes against women and girls that everyone knew about, but no one stopped. When the truth finally emerged, it exploded into a global scandal that shattered lives and exposed a legacy of silence and betrayal. In a place so isolated, can justice ever truly reach the people who need it most? In this episode:  Dennis McGookin, Former Detective Superintendent Sue Farran, Law Professor at Newcastle University Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Manager: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman and Rached El-Moctar. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise and Ney Alvarez. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

Karen Rodríguez was kidnapped and murdered by one of Mexico’s most feared cartels in 2014. Most families would have been forced into silence, but not hers. Refusing to give up, her mum, Miriam Rodríguez, launched her own relentless quest for justice. In a country where cartels operate with impunity, kidnappings are commonplace, and speaking out can get you killed, Miriam’s fearless pursuit turned her into an unlikely hero—and a target. This is an extraordinary story of a mother’s determination to bring her daughter’s killers to justice and the high price she paid for defying the power of the cartels. In this episode:  Ricardo Ravelo (@RRavelo27), journalist  María Jaramillo Alanís, journalist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Catherine Nouhan Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise and Ney Alvarez. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

In the late 1990s, the quiet of a small Russian town was shattered when Irina Ganyushkina stumbled into a police station—an escapee from a living nightmare. Irina revealed to authorities that she was one of five women kidnapped and held captive in a secret underground bunker by a notorious serial killer: Aleksandr Komin, chillingly nicknamed ‘the maniac.’ For Irina and the other survivors, freedom was only the beginning. In a country where women’s stories of violence are too often dismissed, they now faced a new challenge: rebuilding their lives after unimaginable horror. In this episode: Dariana Gryaznova, human rights lawyer Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman, Catherine Nouhan, and Rached El-Moctar. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube

In 1944, amid the harsh glare of Jim Crow, 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. was strapped into South Carolina’s electric chair after a trial that lasted just a single day. With no physical evidence, no defense witnesses, and an all-white jury that deliberated for ten minutes, he was convicted of murdering two white girls. Nearly seven decades later, a judge threw out the verdict. What does George’s story tell us about the US justice system and the ways it continues to fail African-Americans? In this episode: Matthew Burgess (@MattBurgessLaw ), Criminal Defence Attorney Dr Melanie Holmes, Assistant Professor of African American Studies Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

In the 1950s, fear gripped the Philippines as rumors of a blood-drinking vampire spread across the countryside. One chilling death sparked widespread panic, leaving villagers to wonder if a supernatural predator was lurking in the shadows. At the same time, the CIA was locked in a brutal struggle against communist Huk rebels, deploying a mysterious operative named Edward Lansdale to lead covert operations. But how far did Lansdale go to crush the rebellion? In this episode:  Michael Pante(@Michael_Pante), historian Allan Derain (@LBC3871), folklorist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Music Editor: Ivan Eastley  Video Editor and Graphics: Omar Al-Ashi, Blu Posner Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Could the unthinkable be true? In the aftermath of the Bosnian War — a conflict marked by atrocities and genocide — rumors swirled of wealthy outsiders flying into war-torn Sarajevo to pay for a gruesome and forbidden thrill: hunting humans for sport. What sort of person would take part in a human safari? In this episode: Mirsad Sijarić, Sniper Alley witness and director of National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina Azem Kurtić (@AzemKurtic), Bosnian journalist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Music Editor: Ivan Eastley  Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Many thanks to Arsmedia for providing clips from 'Sarajevo Safari', produced by Arsmedia, directed by Miran Zupanič. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Thank you for joining us for the first 10 episodes of True Crime Reports. We’ll be taking a mid-season break, but have no fear, we will be back with 10 more episodes! In the meantime, catch up on the latest episodes and share your thoughts with us, we enjoy reading your comments. See you June 1st. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

With the charm of a family man and the cunning of a criminal mastermind, Tse Chi Lop lived a life cloaked in contradictions.  Behind his mild-mannered demeanor lay the ruthless leader of Asia’s most powerful drug syndicate—a vast empire built on the billion-dollar trade of crystal meth. How did a seemingly unremarkable man rise to the top of the global narcotics underworld? And how did he evade the grasp of international law enforcement for so many years? In this episode:  Dr Hai Luong (@DrHaiThanhLuong), criminology researcher Tom Allard (@tom_allard), journalist Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

For nearly 40 years, a secretive colony in the Chilean countryside hid unspeakable horrors: child abuse, torture, and a twisted legacy of Nazism. Colonia Dignidad, led by ex-Nazi Paul Schäfer, thrived not just as a cult but as a brutal tool of oppression during Chile’s Pinochet regime. How did this enclave evade justice for so long—and why did the Chilean government turn a blind eye, or worse, offer its support? In a story that goes right to the heart of the German and Chilean governments, what justice can the victims themselves hope for? In this episode:  Winfried Hempel, (@WinfriedHempel), Lawyer and Colonia Dignidad Survivor Evelyn Hevia, (@evelynheviajordan), Colonia Dignidad Researcher Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

What if an online game could push teenagers to their darkest edge? The Blue Whale Challenge is rumored to have taken lives around the globe, igniting fear, panic, and speculation between parents. From Russia’s nationwide hysteria to stories of tragic teenage deaths worldwide, the phenomenon shocked millions. But does this deadly game even exist? In this episode:  Evgenii Berg (@genuine_berg), journalist Elizabeth Tucker (@libby.tucker.39), folklorist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Was al-Assad's Syria a narco-state? Captagon—a deadly, addictive amphetamine—has turned Syria into the heart of a $2 billion drug empire few know about, with the Assad regime at the center of it all. From secret labs to smuggling routes, we uncover how this shadowy network operates and its devastating impact across the Middle East. With the regime’s fall, what happens to this illicit empire? In this episode:  Caroline Rose (@CarolineRose8), director at New Lines Institute Dania Albaba (@daniaonfire), expert in addiction psychiatry  Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

How far will Western powers go for conservation? In 2015, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, guards shot and killed an Indigenous boy searching for herbs with his father. This tragedy spotlights the violence faced by Indigenous communities from international conservation efforts. Is human life the cost of wildlife protection? In this episode:  Fiore Longo (@LongoFiore), campaigner at Survival International (@Survival) Members of the Batwa Community Video episode link:  https://youtu.be/Ug3zh54s3Tw  Correction at 07:21: The figure here states “There are now only around 250 eastern lowland gorillas in the park." Recent surveys have revised the 2015 population of Eastern lowland gorillas to be c.1,500. Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

We all know a scamming story: Someone rings or texts you, trying to get your personal information or asking you to log in to your account. But what you might not know is that the person behind that phone could be someone who’s been trafficked and enslaved. Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in scamming farms across Southeast Asia. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, and it’s a chronically underreported story on modern-day slavery. In this episode:  Mary Ann Jolley, (@jolleyma), Journalist Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Translation by Fei Liu. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Two Americans and one Brit were invited to Communist Cambodia in 1978 to meet the brutal dictator Pol Pot. The Brit is called Malcolm Caldwell, a professor from Scotland, and a big Pol Pot fan.   Just hours after he meets his hero, Malcolm is shot dead. So, who killed Malcolm Caldwell? In this episode:  Elizabeth Becker,(@ehb47), journalist and author Sophal Ear, (@sophal_ear), political scientist  Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg, and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.  Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Ruth Thalía’s truth would cost her everything. On national television in Peru, the nineteen-year-old revealed her darkest secrets for a prize, only to be found dead just two months later.  A game show called ‘The Value of the Truth’ launched in South America in 2012. In it, contestants must reveal the most shocking and intimate details about their own lives in front of their loved ones in exchange for a prize jackpot. So, who murdered Ruth Thalía? And how much is the truth worth? In this episode:  Neil Giardino, (@NeilGiardino), Journalist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg, and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.  Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

A murder that rocked the Sikh community in British Columbia, Canada. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader, was fatally shot in his car just after leaving his local temple in 2023. This wasn't just another crime - it was an event that would spark international tension and raise alarming questions:  Who assassinated Hardeep? Did the orders come from the Indian government itself? In this episode:  Giorgio Shani (@GiorgioShani), Professor, Politics and International Studies ICU Japan.  Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (@SFJGenCounsel), General Counsel, Sikhs for Justice (@SFJ_US_Official) Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg, and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Thabo Bester is South Africa’s most notorious con man. In 2012, he was locked away for life for murder and rape. But when in 2022, a fire suddenly breaks out in Bester’s cell, and nothing but a charred body remains, the country’s in shock. Is that the end of Thabo Bester? This is a story about how a serial rapist worked his way into South Africa’s most exclusive circles and about how he almost escaped justice. Listen to the premiere episode of True Crime Reports from Al Jazeera. In this episode:  Glenda Paul, (@GlenniePaul), Forensic Investigator at IRS Forensic Investigations Marecia Damons, (@mareciadamons), Journalist, GroundUp News Episode credits: This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg, and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Manager: Archan Mohile. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube