{"podcast":{"title":"The Crime Agents","slug":"the-crime-agents-7367970","podcast_index_feed_id":7367970,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/global-tca/","website_url":"https://global-tca.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/72ac0c51-d4f1-40bc-bdef-80988560f979/PihRZsxC5k7HbwEdx9G7R_96.jpeg","author":"Global","episode_count":101,"summary":"If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime Agents, the new podcast from the makers of The News 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, Neil and Andy don’t just report on crime - they’ve lived it. The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-24T04:20:33.760414+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crime-agents-7367970"},"episode":{"title":"Q&A: Hunting people smugglers & how realistic is 'Legends'?","slug":"q-a-hunting-people-smugglers-how-realistic-is-legends","published_at":"2026-05-18T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crime-agents-7367970/q-a-hunting-people-smugglers-how-realistic-is-legends","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crime-agents-7367970","url":"https://global-tca.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7fc2ea7e-b0f4-4947-bedd-2fccbf7504f3.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=1366922d-44a9-4066-80a4-91e9297898df&aw_0_1st.episodeid=7fc2ea7e-b0f4-4947-bedd-2fccbf7504f3","summary":"'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 risk almost every day? Neil explains why law enforcement agencies from the UK and other countries have found it so difficult to tackle this problem, and Andy reveals why journalists sometimes seem to have more success in tracking down these people smugglers than the police. Later, they discuss 'Legends', the new streaming hit which tells the stories of customs officers going undercover to tackle drug gangs in the 90s. Is the show realistic? Just how difficult is it for police, border force, or even journalists to go undercover? Plus, Andy & Neil unpick why there has been so little coverage of the investigations into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson since their arrests, and they also reveal who first had the idea for The Crime Agents... Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.","meta_description":"'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 e…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1803,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-crime-agents-7367970/episodes/q-a-hunting-people-smugglers-how-realistic-is-legends/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crime-agents-7367970/q-a-hunting-people-smugglers-how-realistic-is-legends.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}