PODCAST · society
The Crime Agents
by Global
If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime 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, Ne
Episodes
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Are criminal gangs fuelling riots in France?
Protests across France have turned into riots in many parts of the country in recent weeks. Thousands of people have been arrested and more unrest is expected this weekend. So are organised criminal gangs behind this outbreak in looting, arson and attacks on police? Andy & Neil discuss how likely...
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The Hatton Garden Heist: how 'one last job' fell apart
Easter, 2015. A group of pensioners and grandfathers - which included some of Britain's most notorious and hardened criminals - attempt an audacious heist on the world's most famous jewellery quarter: London's Hatton Garden. They made off with millions in gold, diamonds and other jewels, thinking...
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Q&A: Russell Brand...how do police investigate a case like this?
How do police investigate a sexual assault reported years - sometimes decades - after it happened? In light of the sexual assault trial involving Russell Brand in which he denies the allegations, Neil explains how detectives test a victim's credibility, why reporting it to anyone straight away…
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Special Episode: Inside the Kinahan Crime Cartel
He was one of the most wanted men in Europe, with a $5 million US bounty on his head, living openly in Dubai for the last decade. Now Daniel Kinahan is in prison, facing a charge of directing a criminal organisation in the Irish courts. In this special episode, Andy travels to Dublin to discover...
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Q&A: Putney Pusher ID potential after 9 years, off-duty cops & can prevention stop violence?
The ‘Putney Pusher’ case has resurfaced in recent months after an inquest into a suspect's death was opened… but after 9 years, we are still no closer to an ID on the suspect. So what are the processes of the police in identification and could there be new clues uncovered after all this time?…
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Chris Kaba: the shooting that divided Britain
In September 2022, a Met firearms officer shot and killed Chris Kaba. What followed divided the country: protests and grief on one side, a mass walkout of armed officers on the other, and in the middle, a murder trial almost unprecedented in British policing. In this episode, Andy and Neil go…
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Q&A: Why were the RAF Fairford terror suspects bailed?
Arrests at an RAF base on suspicion of terrorist offences, then bail. For many people - including President Trump - this didn't add up. Andy and Neil start this Q&A by explaining what police bail actually is and why the five suspects weren't held on remand for longer. Plus, they examine the...
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Tommy Robinson’s donations: Where does the money go?
Thousands of people hand Tommy Robinson their money. But very few of them know where it ends up. In this episode, Andy is joined by investigative journalist Matt Shea, who has spent months following the money around Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - the man better known as Tommy Robinson. Matt explains why...
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Q&A: Why is the 'Putney Pusher' case still unsolved?
Why has the 'Putney Pusher' proved so difficult to identify? And is this another investigation that will be remembered for police failings? Andy and Neil are asked why, 9 years on, the suspect has still never been officially identified. Neil explains what a case like this really looks like from...
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Special report: Inside London's gang war
The recent fatal shooting of an innocent bus driver in Clapham has put London's biggest gang war onto the front pages. In this special report, Andy is given exclusive access to an undercover Met Police unit working to tackle the tensions behind this South London turf war. He learns about the...
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Q&A: would the Suffragettes be labelled 'terrorists' under today's laws?
If the Suffragettes were campaigning today, would the law treat them as terrorists? It's a question that goes to the heart of how Britain defines political violence, and Neil - the former head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing - takes on the uncomfortable comparison: where exactly is the line...
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Cracking an 'unsolvable' double murder
A crime scene with nothing in it. A community that wouldn't talk. A suspect who turned out to be the wrong man. And a seven-year-old girl lying dead beside her father. The murders of Tony Byfield and his daughter Toni-Ann were Neil's first case as a Senior Investigating Officer. More than two...
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Q&A: Were police too soft on masked mobs in Dover & Portsmouth?
Why did a few hundred masked men appear to be treated more leniently than protesters from groups such as Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil? Were the police scared of the mobs in Dover & Portsmouth? Or was their 'light touch' approach justifiable given the lack of notice for law enforcement? Andy…
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Hillsborough: the cover-up that shamed British policing
Within hours of 97 Liverpool fans being crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, a story was already circulating: that the fans had done it to themselves. Four days later, The Sun printed an infamous front page - "The Truth" - and a lie that would last 27 years was set in stone.…
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Q&A: Digital ID mission creep, scrapping the 43 forces & are the CPS friend or foe?
When MPs talk about the death threats they face online, are they making a genuine plea for protection or building the case for something bigger? Andy and Neil take on the question of whether the abuse politicians face is being used to push the digital ID agenda, and where that leaves free speech....
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David Carrick: why did nobody stop the rapist police officer?
PC David Carrick was one of the most prolific sex offenders in British history and for nearly two decades, he abused women while carrying a warrant card and a gun. Complaints were made about him before he joined the police, and again and again during his career, but he was only stopped after he…
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Q&A: Harry & Meghan's security row, Middlesbrough crash arrests & the Lindsay Clancy trial
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle believe their family isn't safe in the UK. So who decides if that's true? And who should pay if the decision is made to give them police protection? Neil ran the Met's Royal Protection unit for several years and in that role was responsible for Harry & Meghan's...
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Sarah Everard: the murder that broke trust in the police
In March 2021, Sarah Everard walked home from a friend's flat in Clapham. She never arrived. Her face went up on lampposts across south London, her name spread across the country, and within a week police had arrested a suspect: a serving Metropolitan Police officer. Neil reveals how he felt in…
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Q&A: Farage vs Essex Police, the Mushroom Murderer's appeal & London Falling
Nigel Farage says Essex Police warned him to stay away from the Clacton by-election count. Essex Police say that never happened. So who's lying? And why are politicians increasingly dragging the police into their political battles? In this week's Q&A, Andy and Neil tackle Farage's claim head-on…
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Murders, stabbings, terror plots: are Britain's MPs safe?
Three British politicians have been killed in the space of a decade. Jo Cox. David Amess. And now Ann Widdecombe. How has political violence in Britain reached this point? And why are most of our MPs still unprotected? In this episode, Andy and Neil trace the escalating pattern of attacks on...
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Q&A: Kinahan in court & how police let Simon Levy kill
Daniel Kinahan - allegedly one of the world's most powerful gangsters - arrived at a Dublin court this week under near-unprecedented security. Was that level of protection justified, or was it theatre from the Irish state? And how was he finally extradited from Dubai, where he spent a decade…
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How police infiltrated Europe’s biggest drug cartels
Imagine a phone network built exclusively for criminals. Encrypted. Untraceable. Designed to destroy evidence at the touch of a button. For years, EncroChat gave drug cartels, hitmen and money launderers the confidence to plan serious crime openly, believing they were untouchable. They were…
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Q&A: PC Andrew Harper's killers, funeral director horror & why cops don't report their own
Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers will soon be eligible for early release. They were convicted of manslaughter after dragging a police officer to his death - and under the government's early release scheme, they could soon walk free at the halfway point of their sentences. Andy and Neil ask what...
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Mark Duggan: the shooting that sparked nationwide riots
When a specialist firearms officer fired the shot that killed Mark Duggan in August 2011, no one could have predicted what would follow. Within days, a community protest in Tottenham had erupted into disorder across London - and then into the worst rioting Britain had seen in a generation. Was...
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Q&A: Prison early release scheme, domestic abuse & how did Russia find the Skripals?
Killers and sex offenders were being lined up for early release later this year - until new PM Andy Burnham paused the scheme. Was that the right call? Can letting people convicted of serious offences out after half their sentence ever be justified? Andy & Neil debate the government's options as…
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‘Are you ready to save a life?’ The reality of hostage negotiation
You've seen the Hollywood movies - but what is hostage negotiation really like? John Sutherland spent decades as one of the Met Police's most accomplished crisis negotiators. In this episode, he gives Andy and Neil the inside track: how it feels to have a life in your hands, what you actually say...
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Q&A: Child terror suspects, Hillsborough Law & how long do police keep fingerprints on record?
A 14-year-old boy was recently charged with terrorism offences. Were Andy and Neil surprised? Less than you might think. They explain what's behind the trend in terror suspects getting younger and why it should worry us. They also take on the new Hillsborough Law, which legally compels…
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The Salisbury Poisonings: the day Putin attacked Britain
Many people called it an act of war. The 2018 Salisbury Poisonings remains one of the most infamous criminal cases in British history - and Neil was the man who led the investigation. In this episode, he reveals how police, the security services and MI6 worked together to identify the Russian...
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Q&A: Ann Widdecombe, the Flying Squad and should the IRGC be banned?
The UK government has finally proscribed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, but what does that actually mean in practice? Andy and Neil break down what labelling the IRGC a terror group gives police and security services the power to do, and whether it will make any real difference. Neil...
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Special episode: why Counter-Terror Police have taken over Ann Widdecombe investigation
Counter-Terrorism Police have confirmed that the killing of Ann Widdecombe was a 'targeted attack'. So how does an investigation like this actually work? Why did it take days for CT Policing to take over from Devon & Cornwall? And why did the local force publicly rule out a political motive, only...
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Q&A: Rochdale grooming gang leader & should sex offenders ever get early release?
The leader of the Rochdale grooming gang has been freed after just 14 years - and the government says it can't deport him. Andy and Neil dissect how Shabir Ahmed ended up back on British streets, discuss why the case has provoked such fury, and give their view on what should happen to him now.…
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Lee Rigby’s murder: The terror attack that launched a far-right movement
On 22 May 2013, Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered in broad daylight on a London street. His killers didn't flee, they waited, bloodied weapons in hand, and spoke to camera. It remains one of the most shocking terrorist attacks on British soil. Neil was a Met police commander in southeast London…
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Q&A: The Palantir block, tipping off MI5 & 24 Hours in Police Custody
Should a police commissioner publicly criticise the mayor who holds him to account? Sir Mark Rowley did exactly that after Sadiq Khan blocked the Met from working with Palantir, the AI company built on CIA technology. Neil explains the unwritten rules of police leadership, and why he understands...
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Nottingham Attacks: the failures that let a killer roam free
Valdo Calocane was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He'd been arrested and sectioned for violent offences multiple times. He was known to carry knives. And yet on a June morning in 2023, he was free to roam the streets of Nottingham, where he killed three innocent people. In this episode,...
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Q&A: Andy Burnham’s police protection, Edinburgh machete attack & Peter Murrell's sentence
Andy Burnham looks to be on the cusp of becoming the next Prime Minister. In this Q&A episode, Andy and Neil reveal how police work out which politicians need close protection, and whether Burnham will automatically be getting extra security now he's back in Parliament. Plus, a knife attack in...
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Manchester Arena bombing: the inside story of the terror attack that shook Britain
The Manchester Arena bombing was the deadliest terror attack in Britain in a decade. Salman Abedi killed 22 people - including children and teenagers - when he detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. But how was he able to do it? And how was his brother finally brought to…
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Q&A: Social media ban, Belfast riots & why don't police believe rape survivors?
Hampshire Constabulary — the same force that arrested murder victim Henry Nowak as he lay dying — is now under investigation for dismissing a rape report made by one of its own officers. Andy reveals how that failure had devastating consequences, and he and Neil tackle the deeper question: why do...
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Britain's most wanted: hunting down fugitives
Nearly 60,000 suspects skipped court in England and Wales last year. Thousands still haven't been found. Investigative journalist Matt Shea has spent months tracking down some of Britain's most wanted fugitives – from safehouses in North London to red light districts in Thailand – for his Channel…
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Special Episode: Inside the Belfast riots
As Belfast burned on Tuesday night, Andy was there. In this special episode, he delivers a full eyewitness report from the riots: the violence, the racism, and the fury that erupted on the streets of Northern Ireland's capital. Andy & Neil explain how a horrific knife attack by a Sudanese man on...
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The World Cup’s dark side: hooligans, ICE & terror threats
The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest football tournament in history, but it could also be the most dangerous. Andy reveals the shockingly small number of British police officers travelling to the US for the tournament, and explains why that makes hooliganism and crowd trouble at England and...
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Henry Nowak's murder: a policing disaster hijacked by politics
Nigel Farage has spent all week trying to weaponise the murder of Henry Nowak for his own political gain. In this episode, Andy & Neil react to the shocking policing which saw Henry wrongly arrested as he lay dying, explain how the officers should have responded in that situation, and debunk...
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Q&A: Police 'Honeytraps' & should parents go to prison for their kids' crimes?
Should parents ever be held criminally responsible for the actions of their children? In the wake of the inquiry into the Southport murders, the government is considering whether parents who fail to act on serious warning signs should, in some cases, face prosecution. Andy and Neil debate whether...
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John Worboys: the true horror of the black cab rapist
Over 100 survivors of John Worboys' abuse have now come forward to police; but after the recent TV drama 'Believe Me', that number is still growing, decades after Worboys first attacked the women who were unlucky enough to get in his black cab. In this episode, Andy & Neil hear from survivor…
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Special episode: ‘bombshell’ Andrew revelations explained
The police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is back in the headlines. In this special episode, Andy & Neil react to the latest developments and break down why it's so significant that detectives are now considering looking at allegations of sexual misconduct by the former Prince as...
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James Bulger: the story that shocked the world
James Bulger was just 2 years old when he was abducted, tortured and murdered by 10 year olds Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in Liverpool in 1993. The story made headlines around the world, and in this episode, Andy & Neil hear from LBC presenter Shelagh Fogarty, who followed the case closely…
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Q&A: Hunting people smugglers & how realistic is 'Legends'?
'Stopping the Boats': a task which has now proved beyond multiple governments, with over 200,000 people crossing the Channel to reach the UK in the past eight years. But who are the people smugglers running this illegal trade? How do police attempt to catch the gangs who put people's lives at…
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Mohamed Al Fayed: power, abuse & cover-up
Just like Jimmy Savile, for years Mohamed Al Fayed used his power and wealth to commit hundreds of sexual crimes and get away with it. In this episode, Andy & Neil hear from Cheska Hill-Wood, a former Harrods employee and survivor of his abuse, about exactly how Al Fayed groomed victims and…
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Q&A: Andrew, Mandelson & is Palestine Action support about to collapse?
Four Palestine Action activists have just been convicted of serious criminal offences, including criminal damage and GBH. Will this start to change public perceptions of the proscribed group? Will ordinary people look on them differently in light of this news? Andy & Neil break down what impact...
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‘How Dare You!’ Zack Polanski vs The Police
A series of arson attacks on synagogues and Jewish ambulances in the space of just a few weeks. Two terrorist attacks barely seven months apart: one in Manchester and then, last week, another in Golders Green, North London. In this episode, Andy & Neil look at why there have been so many...
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Q&A: The rise of antisemitism, Russell Brand & knife crime
As the number of antisemitic attacks on British Jews continues to rise, in this Q&A episode Neil explains some of the reasons why this type of hatred has become so commonplace on our streets, and how it has changed since his days as a police officer in London. He and Andy discuss whether more...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime 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, Ne
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Crime Agents have?
The Crime Agents currently has 125 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Crime Agents about?
If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime 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...
How often does The Crime Agents release new episodes?
The Crime Agents publishes regularly with 125 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Crime Agents?
You can listen to The Crime Agents on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Crime Agents?
The Crime Agents is created and hosted by Global.
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