Intrigue

I'm Not A Monster Presents... Where is Austin Tice? Josh Baker investigates one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria, but the US president says he’s alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin’s mother’s search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is - and a simple instruction: “Find Austin.” Josh - creator of two of the BBC's most award-winning and widely listened-to investigative podcasts, I'm Not a Monster and The Shamima Begum Story - returns for his most ambitious chapter yet, in a major new series from BBC Radio 4 and NPR's Embedded. Listen to the podcast - search for 'I'm Not a Monster presents'. Archive: Houston Public Media; NBC; PBS; CNN; C-SPAN; MSNBC; The White House; BBC. Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al…

Decades of arguments and evidence land before a judge. Terry Strada’s hopes hang on how he pieces it all together: an airplane sketch, a video from Washington, and call records between Saudi officials in the US. FBI Special Agent Danny Gonzalez is confident: “Put all these little pieces together and make one big puzzle and you'll see it.” A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

Terry Strada spies the FBI Director in a VIP area. Can she get to him to make her case before time runs out? A new generation is preparing to step into the fight for answers. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

When one of Omar Al-Bayoumi’s home videos contains more than was first thought, FBI Special Agent Danny Gonzalez is shocked. Decades after he should have seen it, can it make a difference? A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

To keep a promise to her kids, Terry Strada must master an unknown world and defy a president...all in uncomfortable shoes. She’s pounding the corridors of power in Washington, but a decisive moment comes at an opulent party on Long Island. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

The FBI’s Danny Gonzalez suffers setbacks professional and personal after British police release the man at the centre of his investigation: Omar Al-Bayoumi. And official inquiries fail to provide Terry Strada the answers she so badly needs. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

Terry Strada joins a lawsuit on behalf of 9/11 families, while Special Agent Danny Gonzalez and the FBI continue their investigation in secret. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

Inside Britain's most secure interrogation room, Detective Constable David Campbell of Scotland Yard's anti-terror branch has just seven days to question the hijackers’ neighbour from San Diego. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

After 9/11, FBI Special Agent Danny Gonzalez is chasing leads in San Diego, where two of the hijackers once lived. But another name keeps coming up. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

With the phone to her ear and her eyes on the TV, Terry Strada is unable to comprehend how her life is about to change. Her husband is on the 104th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and their four-year-old is supposed to start nursery school. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

In early 2000, two young Saudis arrive in San Diego. They had never been to America, speak almost no English, and have no idea how to open a bank account or rent a flat. But one Arabic-speaking neighbour offers help, putting his name on the lease to secure their tenancy. A BBC News Long Form Audio production. Host: Jane McMullen Series producer: Neal Razzell Additional production: Sally Abrahams, Keiligh Baker, Nik Sindle Editor: Matt Willis Music: Thomas Ross-Fitzsimons Sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Production management: Phoebe Lomas Radio 4 commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

Twenty-five years on from the deadliest terror attack in history, BBC investigative journalist Jane McMullen asks why thousands of grieving families are still fighting for answers. In early 2000, two young Saudis arrived in San Diego. They had never been to America, spoke almost no English, and had no idea how to open a bank account or rent a flat. Within weeks they had done all of it. Twenty months later they hijacked a plane and crashed it into the Pentagon. Jane McMullen investigates a man who helped two of the hijackers – and reveals a story that the US and Saudi governments have fought to keep secret. A BBC News Long Form Audio production.

Despite a global investigation Megrahi’s conviction, and the failed appeals that followed, remain tainted- for some- by doubt and conspiracy theory. After almost four decades, a new Lockerbie trial. Abu Agila Masud is due to go on trial in August. He denies any involvement and says a video confession he made in 2011 was forced. Will the new trial finally put an end to it all? Myles Bonnar revisits relatives of the victims and investigators, as new evidence challenges long held beliefs. Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by Eloise Whitmore Story consultants are Innes Bowen, Jack Kibble White and Graham Russell Fact checking by Faisal Qureshi Research by Rachael O’Neill and Callum McCulloch-Nowlan Original development by Sally Greig Lockwood Executive Producer: Gillian Wheelan BBC Scotland commissioners: Heather Kane Darling and Victoria Easton-Riley For BBC Radio 4, the commissioning executive is Tracy Williams, and commissioning editor is Dan Clarke. Music…

Secret documents are recovered from the wreckage of Libyan intelligence agency. Myles Bonnar is given access to copies of secret Libyan files which raise fresh questions about Megrahi and his alleged co-conspirators. These documents have been dubbed the Senussi Files, after Abdullah Senussi – head of intelligence in Libya and Colonel Gaddafi’s brother-in-law. The files were found in Tripoli, in the rubble of the Libyan intelligence agency, the JSO (or ESO) destroyed by Nato bombs following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. If verified, it links Megrahi, and others, to the Pan Am explosion, and raises new questions about the case. Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by Eloise Whitmore Story consultants are Innes Bowen, Jack Kibble White and Graham Russell Fact checking by Faisal Qureshi Research by Rachael O’Neill and Callum McCulloch-Nowlan Executive Producer: Gillian Wheelan Original development by Sally Greig Lockwood BBC Scotland commissioners: Heather Kane…

Secret agent or fantasist? Jim Swire first met David BenAryeah at a gathering of the Lockerbie relatives in 1989. BenAryeah soon began passing him secret files from classified sources. So where did he get this information from and who was BenAryeah really? It’s not just BenAryeah who emerged as a mysterious figure in this case, there’s another mysterious character Myles wants to find out more about. Was Abdul Majid Giaka, aka Puzzle Piece, a double agent or a fantasist? Myles manages to get hold of secret cables between Giaka and his CIA handler which sheds fresh light on what Giaka really knew. Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by Eloise Whitmore Story consultants are Innes Bowen, Jack Kibble White and Graham Russell Fact checking by Faisal Qureshi Research by Rachael O’Neill and Callum McCulloch-Nowlan Original development by Sally Greig Lockwood Executive Producer: Gillian Wheelan BBC Scotland commissioners: Heather Kane Darling and Victoria…

A grieving father is convinced the police investigation into Lockerbie got it wrong. Myles Bonnar speaks with Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the explosion. He tells Myles he believes the real culprit is Iran. Jim has always been outspoken about his theories. He claims his rising profile attracted unwanted attention from intelligence agencies, both in Britain and abroad. But what did they want with him? Jim tells Myles about David BenAryeah – a supporter of the Lockerbie group who Jim believed was a member of Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. But Myles knows him as someone very different. Jim Swire’s not the only one who has doubts about who bombed the plane and why. The Lockerbie case has long been at the centre of a complex web of conspiracy. Myles speaks with a member of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s appeal team who tell him what they believe really happened in the months leading up to the Pan Am explosion. Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by…

Myles Bonnar pieces together the original police investigation. He goes back to the night of the explosion; tracking down three sources, each with unique insight into how the police investigation unfolded. From the very early days it’s clear confusion and conspiracy are taking hold. Rumours circulate. Why are American special agents on board the flight? Was the plane used to smuggle drugs? Who are those mysterious figures in the woods in Lockerbie? The police investigation narrows in on a Palestinian militant group. But are they the real culprits? Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by Eloise Whitmore Story consultants are Innes Bowen, Jack Kibble White and Graham Russell Fact checking by Faisal Qureshi Research by Rachael O’Neill and Callum McCulloch-Nowlan Original development by Sally Greig Lockwood Executive Producer: Gillian Wheelan BBC Scotland commissioners: Heather Kane Darling and Victoria Easton-Riley For BBC Radio 4, the commissioning executive…

In 1988, Dumfries and Galloway police is the smallest force in the UK: only 310 officers. Now they’re dealing with the world’s biggest crime scene. Detectives from all over Scotland are bussed into Lockerbie overnight. Within days, American intelligence agents make an appearance. They hole up in Lockerbie Academy, each claiming a classroom. Scottish police are determined to recover every single piece of evidence from the 845-mile crime scene. They bag everything that looks like plane debris before sending it off for forensic evaluation. The investigation rolls on for two years, spanning Germany, Sweden, the UK, and Malta, a small Mediterranean island between Sicily and Libya. That’s when they make a series of breakthroughs. Myles Bonnar speaks with investigators in Scotland and in the FBI about a Libyan double agent, dubbed Puzzle Piece. Could he unlock the whole investigation? Lockerbie is produced by Caitlin Smith Additional production by Rob Wilson Sound design by Eloise Whitmore Story consultants are…

One of the world’s longest running conspiracies. Who was really behind the Lockerbie bombing? On 21 December 1988, a plane explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. A Libyan man, Abdelbaset al Megrahi, is convicted. Despite a global investigation, Megrahi’s conviction, and the failed appeals that followed, are still tainted- for some- with doubt and conspiracy theory. Myles Bonnar wants to find out why. Now, almost four decades on; fresh evidence and a new trial. The alleged bomb maker Abu Agila Masud is in custody, with a trial expected to begin any day. He denies any involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. Journalist Myles Bonnar (Dead Man Running, Shiny Bob) picks apart the original investigation and finds himself in a world full of militant groups, top secret files and grieving families who will never give up on the pursuit of the truth. Intrigue: 'Jaw-dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works. Lockerbie is…

The search for a convicted people smuggler who put money in the UK planning for retirement. This investigation stems from a tip-off: a convicted smuggler once dubbed the most successful in history, is currently living in the UK and running a string of businesses here. Could it be true? Sue and Rob go on the hunt for Twana Jamal – a smuggler who had so many aliases he had to write them on his baseball cap to remind himself which he was using. In court, prosecutors said he and his gang were making £4 million a year and they believed he was funnelling his money into UK businesses: car washes and mini-markets. The search for Twana Jamal starts in the north of England, where migrants report seeing Twana driving a BMW and exuding an air of wealth. They remember how feared he was in the Calais camp: it was migrants there who reported him to police. His gang was the first to industrialise the lorry crossings, which featured so heavily in 2016 as thousands waited to reach Britain. After a smuggling conviction and…

A late night phone call: have Sue and Rob finally unmasked the people-smuggling king pin? A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling…

Sue and Rob head to the Iraqi town that’s become a hotbed of smuggling and the starting point for many migrant journeys – Ranya. There, they unravel what's happened to scores of missing boys taken hostage and tortured as they try to reach the UK. A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue an international arrest warrant. They know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the…

A Turkish smuggler and his money man reveal more about alliances between criminal gangs. A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling…

A hidden location. Migrants awaiting a boat crossing. Who helps them to reach the UK? A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling trade…

A pause in small boat crossings and a coincidence that reveals how boats are delivered. A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling…

Gangs exert power through fear, but where are they getting weapons from? A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling trade and shows in…

A journalist and an ex-soldier search for the identity of a people smuggler believed to be responsible for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK by small boats and lorries. They start with a false name: Kardo Ranya. A man who has evaded arrest for several years by keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret. It makes it near impossible for law enforcement agencies to issue and international arrest warrant. Sue and Rob know what he looks like from social media posts advertising his crossings and lifestyle. Their search takes them across Europe and to the Middle East, where they discover a network of powerful smugglers operating from a town in Northern Iraq. It’s two years since Sue and Rob located a gang leader in their podcast Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion and the illegal business of migrant journeys is more dangerous and ruthless than before. Their investigation reveals the inner mechanics of the smuggling trade and shows in close focus the people who currently control it as they search for a…

A new people smuggling boss is running routes into the UK. Who is he, and can his true identity be revealed? To Catch a Scorpion duo Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie investigate.

Crossing the road between interviews, Jenny receives the opportunity she has been waiting for. A chance to meet Julius Kivimäki and finally seek answers from him. She heads to Turku prison in Western Finland, where Kivimäki is serving his sentence. Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

Within a month of the Vastaamo data breach, Tomi Haustola, a Finnish stand up comedian, is on stage making jokes about it. But Tomi himself is one of the thousands of victims. He tells Jenny how he went to Vastaamo because he was burnt-out and anxious and couldn’t tell anyone - except his therapist. When he discovers a hacker had stolen his therapy notes, Tomi decides to share his story with the audience. Many of them are victims themselves. But he doesn’t expect a letter to arrive for him, years after the hack, inviting him to view the trial of Julius Kivimäki, the man authorities suspected of being the extortionist ransom_man. Bringing the case against him is the Prosecutor Pasi Vainio. Kivimäki is defended by the lawyer who has been with him since the beginning - Peter Jaari. Also present is Jenni Raiskio, the lawyer representing victims of the hack, making sure they are not forgotten amidst the TV cameras and photographers. As Jenny follows the unfolding of the court case and the trial nears its…

Authorities think Julius Kivimäki could be responsible for the Vastaamo data breach and the leaking of patient records. They want to bring him in for questioning, but he’s disappeared. Kivimäki is known to brag about his international lifestyle. He could be anywhere. Jenny meets Pasi Vainio, the prosecutor who places Kivimäki on Europol’s Most Wanted List. Pasi takes Jenny through the evidence that he and his colleagues have painstakingly gathered, trying to figure out who is ransom_man. What they find is shocking and surprising, and takes Jenny closer to home than she ever expected. Through all of this, one man has stood by Kivimäki’s side - his lawyer, Peter Jaari. Jenny heads to Peter’s Helsinki office to see if he can provide any answers. The search for Kivimäki leads to a confrontation that no one saw coming. Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil…

ransom_man’s final post contained clues to his identity. In those clues, former cybercrime detective Antti Kurittu recognises similarities to of the biggest hacker he ever investigated, a Finnish teenager called Julius Kivimäki. So who is Julius Kivimäki, and could he be the person who held a nation’s darkest secrets to ransom? Jenny’s search for answers leads her away from Finland, to meet a man in Illinois named Blair. Blair grew up in the hacking scene, and his time in the same circles as Kivimäki would shape his life forever. Blair found himself at the centre of a vicious online feud that spilled into the real world. It began with an unexpected takeaway delivery and ultimately put his and his family’s life in danger. Jenny explores how Julius Kivimäki became a globally notorious hacker - his name has been linked to grounding of a plane with a hoax bomb threat, the targeting of elite universities and multinational corporations, and perpetrating tens of thousands of hacks. But was Vastaamo among them?…

After a shocking data breach at the Finnish psychotherapy service Vastaamo, a nation’s secrets are being held to ransom by a faceless hacker. Jenny Kleeman traces the story. After negotiations with Vastaamo fail, ransom_man begins publishing 100 patient records a day on the dark web. He posts a link to the records on popular sites like Reddit and Ylilauta, Finland’s version of 4chan. He ends the post with one word. “Enjoy!” . Finland is a nation in panic. One victim, Meri-Tuuli, heads to the dark web to find out if her notes are among those published, and is appalled by what she sees. But after a few days, the hacker does something that no one could have foreseen. Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman. Producer: Sam Peach. Executive Producer: Georgia Catt. Sound Design: Sam Peach Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective. A BBC Studios Production Commissioning Executive is Tracy Williams Commissioner: Dan Clarke

A shocking data breach at a Finnish psychotherapy service. Jenny Kleeman traces the story of a nation’s secrets held to ransom by a faceless hacker. We all have some thoughts we’d never write down. Now, just imagine that someone had got hold of those thoughts, and was threatening to publish them for all the world to see - if you didn’t pay to stop them. This is what happened to Tiina, a Headteacher living near Helsinki. When decades of stress and anxiety overwhelmed her, she sought support through a therapy service called Vastaamo. Vastaamo was accessible, affordable, and a national success story. But in September 2020, the company received an email from a hacker claiming to have stolen their entire patient database - including therapy notes. Antti Kurittu is the cybersecurity specialist tasked with saving the secrets of 33,000 patients, but can he and the police find a way to stop this hacker, who calls himself ransom_man? Before long, Antti, Tiina and a whole nation learn just how far he is willing to go.…

What would you do if your deepest secrets were held to ransom? Jenny Kleeman investigates one of the world's most audacious hacks. When a shocking data breach takes place at a Finnish psychotherapy service, the nation's darkest secrets are held to ransom by a faceless hacker. He calls himself ransom_man. Award-winning journalist Jenny Kleeman (BBC Radio 4's The Gift) traces the story from the first extortion email to the hunt to find the hacker and bring him to justice. We all have some thoughts we'd never write down. Now, just imagine that a criminal had got hold of those thoughts, and was threatening to publish them for all the world to see if you didn't pay to stop him. Jenny finds out what kind of person is prepared to terrorise a nation like this, and the lengths people will go to fight back. On the way, she'll discover that the origins of this dark crime stretch far beyond Finland. Her extraordinary quest leads her around the world and to unexpected places, bringing Jenny face to face with victims,…

A dark, cold morning in February 2025. Hundreds are filing into the Museum of the Bible - evangelical leaders, gospel singers, and over 30 members of Congress including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They've gathered just three blocks from the US Capitol for an annual event of fervent prayer about what they see as America's most pressing problems. Meanwhile, journalist Ben Lewis explores how an institution that once dreamed of becoming a centre for biblical scholarship has transformed after losing some 17,000 artefacts - nearly 40% of its entire collection. Through revealing interviews with museum officials and its critics, Ben traces the extraordinary journey of the Museum of the Bible - from the Green family's ambitions to make Washington, DC a centre for biblical scholarship, to the devastating revelations of forged Dead Sea Scrolls fragments and thousands of problematically sourced artefacts. Yet despite these setbacks, the museum has found new purpose as a convening space for a movement that wants…

In April 2019, Dr Roberta Mazza receives an email from an academic in charge of Research at the Museum of the Bible which leads to the exposure of one of the most extraordinary breaches of trust in biblical scholarship. Through exclusive interviews, Ben Lewis reveals how the Museum of the Bible discovered that precious gospel fragments they had purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars may have been stolen from a collection at Oxford University. The episode follows the museum's quest to verify their collection's legitimacy, leading to a devastating discovery that a renowned Oxford professor had allegedly been selling artefacts that weren't his to sell. From papyrologist Roberta Mazza's early suspicions to the museum's internal investigation, Ben pieces together how an elite scholar's apparent betrayal came to light. As evidence mounts, the story builds to a dramatic doorstep confrontation, where Ben attempts to get answers from the professor at the centre of the scandal - raising profound questions…

Federal investigators uncover a shadowy scheme to smuggle ancient clay tablets into America. When customs officers in Memphis inspect a package labelled "tile samples" in January 2011, they discover something far more precious - delicate clay tablets covered in cuneiform, one of humanity's earliest forms of writing. Through exclusive interviews with former US prosecutor Karin Orenstein and special agent Brenton Easter, Lewis reveals how this discovery led to one of the largest antiquities investigations in recent history. The episode reconstructs how Hobby Lobby President Steve Green attended a meeting in an apartment in the United Arab Emirates to view thousands of ancient artefacts, despite receiving explicit legal warnings about importing items from Iraq. When boxes of tablets start turning up at US customs addressed to Hobby Lobby stores labelled as craft supplies, investigators uncover an elaborate scheme of false declarations, undervalued items, and payments spread across multiple bank accounts. As the…

A biblical scholar's dramatic last-minute announcement at a packed debate hints at a fragment that could rewrite history. On a winter's night in 2012, an extraordinary claim electrifies a university auditorium in North Carolina - the discovery of what could be the earliest known Christian text, written within decades of Jesus's life. Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how this announcement connects to a meeting one night in an Oxford professor's chambers, where precious gospel fragments were laid out on a pool table. He uncovers how the Green family's fervent quest for biblical artefacts intersected with the world of elite academia. Their representatives were desperate to buy the four gospel fragments - including one potentially dating to the first century. But as scholars wait years to find out more, questions mount about that fragment in particular and what exactly is the professor's role. From the gothic halls of Christ Church Oxford to heated debates in American…

A threatening message leads a papyrologist into the shadowy world of online antiquities trading. On a September morning in 2017, Dr Roberta Mazza opens her WhatsApp to find menacing messages and warnings to "watch her back". How did a respected academic specialising in ancient texts find herself at the crossroads of biblical scholarship and antiquities looting? Through exclusive interviews, investigative journalist Ben Lewis reveals how Dr Mazza's chance discovery at a Vatican exhibition three years earlier set her on a collision course with one of the world's most ambitious collecting projects. When she spots a rare biblical fragment she'd previously seen listed on eBay, Roberta begins pulling threads that lead from online auction sites to a prestigious museum collection. Her investigation intensifies as she uncovers connections between anonymous online sellers and the Museum of the Bible's massive acquisition programme. Going undercover to expose the trade in potentially looted artefacts, Roberta finds…

In July 2017, Dr Jeff Kloha is preparing to start his dream job as Director of Collections at Washington DC's new Museum of the Bible when he discovers his new employer’s biggest donor has been caught up in a government investigation. The donor, Hobby Lobby, has been ordered to return 3,500 artefacts and pay a $3 million settlement. Through exclusive interviews with museum officials and evangelical scholars, investigative journalist Ben Lewis pieces together the extraordinary story of how the Green family - owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire - embarked on an unprecedented collecting spree of biblical treasures. Their ambitious mission: to create a museum showcasing the Bible's history through ancient objects. But as Lewis discovers, their rush to acquire 40,000 items in just three years would bring them into the orbit of a complex network of antiquities dealers in problematic ways. And it sparks a scholar turned super sleuth to start asking questions… This episode has been edited since broadcast.…

A billionaire family's mission to amass ancient biblical treasures leads to them getting caught up in an international web of looted artefacts, forgeries and criminal networks. Art sleuth Ben Lewis uncovers how the Green family - owners of America's Hobby Lobby craft stores - spent millions racing to gather biblical manuscripts and artefacts. Their unprecedented collecting spree - 40,000 items in just three years - triggers a government investigation and alarms biblical scholars worldwide. When papyrologist Roberta Mazza begins questioning the collection's origins, she finds herself drawn into an investigation stretching from the Vatican City through Istanbul to Oxford University’s hallowed halls. Through exclusive access to key players, Lewis reveals how thousands of allegedly looted treasures were smuggled into America labelled as "ceramic tiles", whilst priceless items like ancient Babylonian tablets and early Christian manuscripts were acquired through suspicious means. As investigators close in and…

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…

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…

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…

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 Farquhar Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby Story editor: Andrew Dickson Executive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar Development by Paul Russell Voice acting by Red Frederick Original music…

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 Farquhar Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby Story editor: Andrew Dickson Executive producers: Neil…

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 Farquhar Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka Sound design and mixing by…

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 Farquhar Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra…

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 Farquhar Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby Story editor: Andrew Dickson Executive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar Development by Paul Russell Voice acting by Red Frederick Original music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4