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PODCAST · fiction

The Unknown Gunmen

The Unknown Gunmen is an immersive noir audio anthology uncovering the world's most lethal covert operations. Blurring the lines between real events and dramatic fiction, each episode opens a new dossier on a shadow war—from R&AW in Pakistan to Mossad in Iran. It’s a world where technology and human intelligence collide—where a hacked phone is as deadly as a sniper's bullet, but only if a human hand places it there. Witness the tradecraft, the patience, and the terrifying silence of a job well done.

  1. 9

    Digital Dust, Analog Blood

    In the rain-slicked shadows of Kathmandu, a "suicide" at Department 42 triggers a high-stakes collision between two worlds. Detective Rana, a man of grit and mechanical precision, is forced into a rogue partnership with Agent Venkat, a clinical data-specialist from New Delhi.Together, they must track the "Red Pipeline"—a ghost network where national secrets are stripped of their digital signatures and moved as physical cargo. From the coded menus of a silent restaurant to a desperate pursuit through a humid international terminal, they hunt a predator who operates in the "Grey Zone" between borders. In a world where every circuit is compromised, they must rely on the only thing that cannot be hacked: analog friction.DISCLAIMER: This is a dramatized work of fiction. While inspired by geopolitical tensions and real-world intelligence tradecraft, all characters, specific incidents, and dialogue are products of creative dramatization for narrative purposes.

  2. 8

    The Kashmir Princess

    The year is 1955 - 18,000 feet above the South China Sea, a ticking time bomb dissolves inside the wing of a luxury airliner. The target? The Premier of China. The suspects? Everyone.Welcome to Hong Kong, 1955. The city is a neon-lit pressure cooker of colonial decay, communist fury, and CIA shadows. Into this "Tropical Noir" nightmare steps R.N. Kao—India’s legendary spymaster. His mission is impossible: walk the razor's edge between the British Empire and Red China to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to ignite World War III.From the polite silence of the Governor’s office to the rain-slicked alleyways of Kowloon, Kao must hunt for a ghost before the evidence—and the truth—disappears forever.#SpyThriller #ColdWarHistory #RNKao #TrueCrime #AudioDrama #Noir #HistoryPodcast #Espionage #HongKong1955 #TheUnknownGunmen #IndianHistory #PodcastRecommendation

  3. 7

    City of Ash - Part 2

    1998 was fire. 2025 is silence.25+ years after the blasts that turned Coimbatore into a City of Ash, the smoke has cleared. But the ghost is still out there.Agent Venkat is back. He’s traded his revolver for a server farm, and his instinct for algorithms. He is an analog watch ticking in a digital world, hunting the only man who ever beat him: "Tailor" Raja.In this high-tech conclusion to the Kovai Files, witness the anatomy of a modern manhunt.The Glitch: A dying warlord makes one phone call from a hospital bed, triggering a digital avalanche in NATGRID.The Hunt: From the sterile hum of the Chennai Cyber Hive to the chaotic red mountains of the Vijayapura Chilli Market.The Trap: A "Honey Trap" operation where the only weapon is a hidden camera and a question about chilli prices.The bomb maker became a chilli trader. The terrorist became a ghost. But in the age of Aadhaar and Artificial Intelligence... nobody hides forever.Disclaimer: This audio drama is a work of fiction based on real-world intelligence operations including Operation Aram and Operation Agahzi While the tech is real, the specific characters and conversations are dramatisations.#AudioDrama #SpyThriller #CyberWarfare #TrueCrime #KovaiBlasts #NATGRID #Endgame #Noir

  4. 6

    City Of Ash - Part 1

    February 14th, 1998: The day the Manchester of South India lost its rhythm.In the sweltering heat of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore (Kovai) is a machine that never stops. The looms clatter, the markets roar, and the sirens wail. But at 3:50 PM, the machine breaks.A single blast at the railway station triggers a domino effect of terror. Within forty minutes, twelve high-intensity explosions rip through the city’s heart, turning the industrial grid into a war zone.This is Part 1 of the true story of the Coimbatore Blasts.Ride shotgun with Agent Venkat, a rookie intelligence officer dropped from the sky into a burning city. He’s here to catch a killer, but what he finds in the ashes is a puzzle that doesn't fit.The Carnage: Witness the visceral horror of the Thirumal Street raid where a sniper's bullet changes history.The Silence: Feel the suffocating tension of the 70kg bomb that didn't go off.The Ghost: Discover the "Mathematical Impossibility"—the missing logistician who vanished while the city screamed.Venkat is looking for a terrorist. He’s about to find a ghost."We caught the hands that lit the match. But the man who bought the powder? He just bought a ticket out of town."Disclaimer: This audio drama is a work of fiction based on the real-world events of the 1998 Coimbatore Serial Blasts. While the timeline and the magnitude of the tragedy are historically accurate, the character of Agent Venkat and specific conversations are dramatisations created for entertainment purposes.We want to hear from you!Do you remember the silence in Kovai that night? Send us a message. [CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE].We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.#AudioDrama #SpyThriller #TrueCrime #CityOfAsh #Coimbatore #Espionage #IndiaHistory #RAW #Noir #Part1

  5. 5

    The Lumbini Protocol

    April 6th. A flight lands in Kathmandu. A passenger vanishes.And his disappearance wasn't just a missing persons case.It was the opening move in a silent war.One Man. Three Nations. Zero Rules.In the shadows of the Himalayas, Nepal is more than a mountain paradise—it's a "Grey Zone." A neutral chessboard where India, Pakistan, China and the US play out their deadliest feuds, and where the only law is plausible deniability.In this episode, we follow Detective Rana of the covert Department 42, a man tired of his country being used as a playground for foreign spies. From the rain-slicked alleys of Thamel to the digital ghost towns of the dark web, witness the anatomy of a perfect snatch operation.Ride shotgun as Rana races against the monsoon to the chaotic, lawless "Zero Line" at the Indian border.Was it an extraction? A defection? Or a betrayal?Disclaimer: This audio drama is a work of fiction. While the geopolitical tensions and the concept of the "Grey Zone" in Nepal are based on real-world intelligence dynamics, the characters and the specific events of "The Lumbini Protocol" are dramatisations created for entertainment purposes. The depiction of Department 42 is a fictional representation of counter-intelligence operations.We want to hear from you!Have a theory about what really happened? Or thoughts on the "Grey Zone"? Send us a message.[CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE]We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.#AudioDrama #SpyThriller #NoirPodcast #FictionPodcast#TrueCrimeStyle #Geopolitics #Espionage #SouthAsia #IntelligenceAgencies #ColdWar #Nepal

  6. 4

    The Blood Telegram

    April 6, 1971. The telex machine in Dhaka didn't just send a message. It sent a suicide note."Moral Bankruptcy." "Genocide."These are words you do not send to the President of the United States. But Archer Blood, the Consul General, didn't care about his career. He cared about the slaughter happening outside his window. He typed the truth, hit send, and waited for the axe to fall.Diplomatic Suicide. Global War.While Washington shredded the warning and the Oval Office dismissed the bloodshed as a "nuisance," the Indian intelligence machine began to move in the dark.In this episode, we trace the signal from that forgotten telex machine to the brink of nuclear war. We step inside the "War Room" with R.N. Kao, the spymaster who discovered that his nation was surrounded by a secret axis of powers. We walk the halls of the Kremlin with the "Kashmiri Mafia" who brokered a checkmate against China without firing a shot.From the rain-slicked streets of Dhaka where diplomats turned into dissidents, to the terrifying silence of the Bay of Bengal where a lone Soviet Admiral surfaced his submarines to stare down the US Navy, witness the history they tried to redact.Discover how Golda Meir betrayed the Western alliance to smuggle mortars to Indira Gandhi , and listen as we play back the actual, declassified sentiments of the White House—where a President and his National Security Advisor wished for "mass famine" and hurled misogynistic slurs at the leader of the world’s largest democracy.They thought they could bury the telegram. They thought silence was a strategy. They were wrong.Listen now to the story of the document that shamed a superpower and the war that redrew the map of the world.Historical Note & Disclaimer:This audio drama is a work of fiction inspired by real historical events surrounding the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.While scenes inside the Indian PMO and the Kremlin are dramatisations based on historical outcomes, the depictions of the Nixon White House are drawn from the declassified and published Historical Documents Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976 published on https://history.state.gov/.The quotes attributed to President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger—specifically the wish for a "mass famine" in India and the derogatory references to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—are verbatim historical records, not creative inventions.We do not claim that every word in this drama is the absolute truth, but the contempt you hear from the Oval Office is exactly as it appears in the official State Department archives.Sometimes, the truth is darker than anything a podcaster could invent.We want to hear from you! Whether you have feedback on the episode, a burning question, or just want to say hello, our comms lines are open.⁠[CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE]⁠We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.

  7. 3

    The Glass House

    September, 2017: A digital tripwire snaps in the dark servers of New Delhi. A $50,000 transfer from a high-risk node in the Gulf - The sender was a known financier for the Islamic State in Khorasan. The algorithm doesn't just see money; it sees a fuse being lit.Tactical Brilliance. Strategic Catastrophe.While the world looked away, Indian intelligence deployed "The Glass House"—an eighty-man surveillance dragnet designed to turn one man's life into a transparent cage.In this episode, we step inside the van with Agent K, the chain-smoking veteran hunting a "White Collar" terrorist who hides in plain sight. And we walk into the lion's den with Ahmed, the deep-cover operative who must befriend a man building a suicide vest in the next room.From the suffocating tension of a ground-floor trap house in Lajpat Nagar to the chaotic, narrow lanes of Old Delhi's Hawala markets, witness the anatomy of a perfect sting. Discover how R&AW supplied the chemicals to build a bomb just to prove a student was a killer, and how a surveillance team defused a massacre without firing a single shot.But in the shadow world, there is no such thing as a clean victory.They stopped the detonation in Delhi. They thought they had flushed the toxicity out of the system by sending the target to the black hole of Bagram Prison. They were wrong.August 26, 2021. The US withdraws. The prison gates open. And the ghost returns to Abbey Gate to finish the job.Listen now to the story of how a war won in the shadows was lost in the sunlight.Disclaimer: This audio drama is a work of fiction inspired by real historical events, specifically "Operation Glass House" and the subsequent tragedy at Kabul Airport. While characters like "Agent K" and "Ahmed" are dramatisations of real operatives, and the tactical details of the surveillance operation are based on declassified methodologies, dialogue and specific interactions have been created for entertainment purposes. We do not claim that every word you hear is the absolute truth.Then again, in the world of counter-terrorism, the "absolute truth" is often buried under a pile of redacted files. Only the handlers and the ghosts know what really happened in that safe house in 2017.We want to hear from you! Whether you have feedback on the episode, a burning question, or just want to say hello, our comms lines are open.⁠[CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE]⁠We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.

  8. 2

    The Silent Front

    May 14, 1987. Ten men in gas masks storm the Parliament in Suva. Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka tears up the constitution, declaring "Fiji for the Fijians." Democracy dies in paradise, and the shockwaves reach Canberra, London, and Washington. The world waits for Australia to act. But Australia freezes.Nature abhors a vacuum. And so does geopolitics.When the big powers stood down, New Delhi stood up. Invoking the "Indira Doctrine," India deployed a shadow force to the unlikeliest of battlegrounds: the suburbs of Western Sydney.In this episode, we open the dossier on the shadow war. Meet the "Band of Three"—a textile baron, an academic, and a tourist—who infiltrated the highest levels of Australian society. And meet Meera, the bank teller turned spymaster, who orchestrated a revolution from a library in Australia.From the backrooms of corrupt politicians to the gritty clubhouses of Bikie gangs, witness how R&AW built an invisible fortress right under the nose of ASIO. Discover how a fake media firestorm blinded a Western intelligence agency, how a hit squad walked into a trap in a scrapyard, and how a single cassette tape forced a dictator to rewrite a constitution.It’s a story of arrogance, deception, and the "colonial blindspot" that allowed a team of "amateurs" to outplay the professionals at their own game.Listen now to uncover the war that was never reported in the morning papers.Disclaimer: This audio drama is a work of fiction inspired by real historical events, geopolitical rumours, and declassified fragments of the Cold War era. While characters, locations, and incidents are based on the tumultuous period of the 1987 Fiji Coups and the Indian intelligence response, dialogue and specific operational details have been dramatised for entertainment purposes. We do not claim that every word you hear is the absolute truth.Then again, in the world of espionage, the "absolute truth" is classified. Only R&AW and ASIO know what really happened in Sydney ... and neither of them is talking.We want to hear from you! Whether you have feedback on the episode, a burning question, or just want to say hello, our comms lines are open.⁠[CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE]⁠We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.

  9. 1

    The Furniture Shop

    In the dusty, claustrophobic lanes of Akhtar Colony, Karachi, a middle-aged man sands wood. To his neighbours, he is Zahid, the humble furniture shop owner who makes excellent chai. To Indian Intelligence, he is Zahoor Mistry, code name 'Bhola'—the butcher who hijacked Flight IC-814 and murdered a newlywed on the tarmac in 1999.This episode peels back the layers of a seven-year surveillance operation unlike any other. Forget Hollywood chases; this is the slow, suffocating grid of real espionage. It is a world of "invisible armies"—beggars, chai-wallahs, and phone credit sellers who watch without being seen. It is about the patience to wait for a digital slip-up, the art of social engineering, and the cold calculus of a "Checkmate" strategy.A Note on the Story: This narrative is a blend of historical fact and dramatic fiction. While inspired by true events and real intelligence tradecraft, certain characters, conversations, and operational details have been fictionalised for dramatic purposes.Listen. Subscribe. Declassify. If you enjoyed this dive into the shadows, please Subscribe or Follow to ensure you don't miss the next dossier. We thrive on your intel—leave a review or send us your feedback. Tell us what worked, what didn't, and what secrets you want uncovered next.We want to hear from you! Whether you have feedback on the episode, a burning question, or just want to say hello, our comms lines are open.[CLICK HERE TO SEND US A MESSAGE]We read every message and will do our very best to reply to you personally.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

The Unknown Gunmen is an immersive noir audio anthology uncovering the world's most lethal covert operations. Blurring the lines between real events and dramatic fiction, each episode opens a new dossier on a shadow war—from R&AW in Pakistan to Mossad in Iran. It’s a world where technology and human intelligence collide—where a hacked phone is as deadly as a sniper's bullet, but only if a human hand places it there. Witness the tradecraft, the patience, and the terrifying silence of a job well done.

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Mashed Avocado

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Unknown Gunmen have?

The Unknown Gunmen currently has 9 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Unknown Gunmen about?

The Unknown Gunmen is an immersive noir audio anthology uncovering the world's most lethal covert operations. Blurring the lines between real events and dramatic fiction, each episode opens a new dossier on a shadow war—from R&AW in Pakistan to Mossad in Iran. It’s a world where technology and...

How often does The Unknown Gunmen release new episodes?

The Unknown Gunmen has 9 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to The Unknown Gunmen?

You can listen to The Unknown Gunmen 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 Unknown Gunmen?

The Unknown Gunmen is created and hosted by Mashed Avocado.
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