Show Notes
It all starts with an undercover meeting about a murder for hire. An admitted member of a Northern Irish paramilitary group called the Ulster Volunteer Force, the UVF, says he can arrange to have a man killed. So, we travel to Belfast to track him down. In this episode, Al Jazeera Investigates the violent factional history of the UVF and how the organization has evolved and expanded since the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. What happens to paramilitary group when the fighting stops? They don’t go away, they adapt and in the case of the UVF, it has become a violent, international drug cartel willing to sell its services to the highest bidder. This episode was written and produced by Kevin Hirten with Simon Boazman and Craig Pennington who is also the audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panaretos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix. Rafi Mustafa is Manager of Investigative Programs for Al Jazeera English. And Mohammed Al-Hamadi is our Director of Programs.
More from Al Jazeera Investigates
Who knew a murder-for-hire would be so complicated? This remarkable, undercover conversation with an admitted member of the Ulster Volunteer Force, a paramilitary organization from Northern Ireland, lays out the grizzly logistics of a contract killing. No detail is too small: the cost, the location, the weapons. There’s a cold calculus to it: each choice affects the odds of a clean kill and the attendant risks of being found out. This is true crime playing out in real time. This episode was written and produced by Kevin Hirten with Simon Boazman and Craig Pennington who is also the audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panaretos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix. Rafi Mustafa is Manager of Investigative Programs for Al Jazeera English. And Mohammed Al-Hamadi is our Director of Programs.
The historic connections between the UVF and right-wing politics is well documented. Even so, it was shocking that the man who introduced us to Nessie, the violent paramilitary member prepared to arrange a murder, was the CEO of Turning Point UK, Jack Ross. In this episode, Al Jazeera Investigates the dangerous links between right-wing activists stoking rage online and violent, far right criminal organizations. At a time when simply holding a sign supporting a proscribed organization is enough to send someone to prison, Turning Point UK has some explaining to do. Why is its CEO playing middleman to a murder for hire plot with a man he himself called a “terrorist.” This episode was written and produced by Kevin Hirten with Simon Boazman and Craig Pennington who is also the audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panaretos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix. Rafi Mustafa is Manager of Investigative Programs for Al Jazeera English. And Mohammed Al-Hamadi is our Director of Programs.
When Bangladeshi’s woke up on the morning of August 5, 2024 no one knew what would happen. Hundreds of thousands of people were planning to march to the capital. But security forces still loyal to Sheikh Hasina were determined to keep her in power no matter the cost. Until the final minutes, her fate remained uncertain. The last day of the uprising would be the deadliest and most dramatic. Episode Credits: This episode was written and produced by me, Kevin Hirten and Tamara Khandaker with Craig Pennington who is also our audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panarertos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix Black Box did the music for this series. Will Thorne is the Executive Producer. And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio.
With the internet shut off, Sheikh Hasina attempts to claw back the narrative. But as the uprising reaches its final days, it becomes clear that her cruel crackdown on the students has backfired. There’s no turning back. A fateful decision from Bangladesh’s most powerful institution puts Sheikh Hasina’s government on a glidepath to collapse. Episode Credits: This episode was written and produced by me, Kevin Hirten and Tamara Khandaker with Craig Pennington who is also our audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panarertos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix Black Box did the music for this series. Will Thorne is the Executive Producer.And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio.
Abu Sayed’s death super charges the uprising and Sheikh Hasina is determined to put a stop to it. In this episode, we’ll hear Hasina, on exclusively obtained recordings, authorizing deadly force. As the situation worsens she makes two fateful decisions. She calls the Army in and turns the internet off. Episode Credits: This episode was written and produced by me, Kevin Hirten and Tamara Khandaker with Craig Pennington who is also our audio editor. Additional editing by Manny Panarertos. Clean Cuts did the final sound mix Black Box composed original music for this series. Will Thorne is the Executive Producer. And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio.