True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics

The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our third round of insights from the world of espionage, Vanessa Kirby meets daring undercovers, sweet-talking case officers and spies who shaped history in the ultimate digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle produc...

In the fall of 1973, journalist Emil Draitser met an ageing Soviet super-spy. His name was Dmitri Brystrolyotov, and for him, sex and secrets went hand-in-hand. At the time, Emil could scarcely believe what he heard - much less publish it. 30 years later, long after the collapse of the USSR, Brystrolyotov's story could finally be told. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of seduction, secrets and lies be...

To her colleagues, South African journalist Sue Dobson appeared to be a pro-Apartheid conservative. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, she was a trained paramilitary and secret agent, infiltrating the government's propaganda wing on behalf of the African National Congress. Vanessa Kirby relates an incredible story of bravery in the face of bigotry. How hard would YOU fight fo...

Today, veteran CIA operative Doug Patteson is an expert in his field. But as a rookie Case Officer in South-East Asia, he still had a lot to learn. When the Agency put him in an awkward position, Doug was forced to find the middle-ground between his personal code and the life he chose. Could YOU always put the job first? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produ...

It's 1999, and DoD intelligence officer Bob Gourley is at the vanguard of the US Government's defence against cyber-espionage. He's joined a taskforce charged with uncovering the shadowy hackers who have been siphoning America's scientific secrets for 3 years. If he wants answers, Bob needs to navigate cutting-edge tech, inter-agency backbiting and the machinations of an old enemy. Could YOU stop...

Spy. Counterspy. Mercenary. Informant. Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales was all these things and more. Rising from humble beginnings in Cuba, he served within various intelligence agencies before becoming notorious in the criminal underworld of 1980s Miami. But when the FBI came knocking, he mounted a daring wire-tap operation against the city's powerful drug lords - Operation Tick Talks. Which side would...

It's 2011, and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is intensifying. Shawnee Delaney, a case officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, is determined to be the one to bring him in. But her source on the ground - an Islamic scholar with ties to Al Qaeda - proves to be a difficult man to recruit. To succeed, she needs to figure out what motivates him - and fast. Could YOU make the killer pitch? From SPYSC...

When it comes to cyber-espionage, white-hat hacker Matt Devost is someone you want on your side. When a corporate client reported extortionate emails from an unknown aggressor, Matt was determined to unmask them. To do so, he'd need to test the limits of his considerable skills - and step out from behind the keyboard. Could YOU become a hacker for hire? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup An...

CIA Operations Officer Doug London had one shot to recruit one of Al-Qaeda's key facilitators. Doug has to find common ground with a man with a vastly different background and belief system. Lives hang in the balance. He has to succeed. Vanessa Kirby tells the story of how Doug did it. How would YOU do it? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newb...

When banker Keith Bulfin went to prison, he entered a waking nightmare. When he got out, things only got worse. As a reluctant agent of the DEA, he was tasked with infiltrating the brutal world of the Cartels. If he was successful, he'd be given a chance to return to his old life. If not, living wouldn't be an issue. Could YOU take the strain? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle p...

Linguist and intelligence analyst Charity Wright has spent her career monitoring China. But as the country expands its influence around the globe, she's worried that the balance of global power could be shifting. Vanessa Kirby reveals the ways in which Chinese espionage could shape the future of the planet. What could YOU discover? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. S...

FBI agent Giovanni Rocco grew up playing in the back yards of New Jersey's criminal class. As an adult, he went undercover to take them down. Vanessa Kirby follows Giovanni's descent into the violent world that inspired HBO's hit series, The Sopranos. Could YOU meet the Family - and live? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Pro...

In Atlanta, a woman is found murdered. The suspect? An employee of a hostile Embassy, responsible for monitoring secret communications. He's also a spy, recruited by the FBI. Now he's on the run, and the pressure is on for the Bureau to bring him in - before his own side take him out. Vanessa Kirby joins former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi on a manhunt with internatio...

Northern Philadelphia, 1989. FBI agent Judy Tyler is on the hunt. Her target? A local entrepreneur with a lucrative side-line as a cocaine kingpin. From wiretaps to polygraphs to secret cameras, Judy has the Bureau's full arsenal of tradecraft tricks at her disposal - but can she get her man before someone gets hurt? Vanessa Kirby joins Judy on the mean streets of Philly. Could YOU clean them up?...

Missionary. Agent. Inventor. Charles Fraser-Smith fought his war from a workshop, creating the real-life equipment that would inspire one of Ian Flemings' most beloved creations - Q, the MI6 quartermaster. During WW2, Fraser-Smith was the mind behind some of the British spy's most essential kit in the fight against the Nazis. Vanessa Kirby meets the man behind the gadgets. Could YOU bring it back...

It's the early-90's, and the USA is still reeling from the LA Race Riots. A paranoid Far Right are preparing for all-out war. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, Mike German is the picture-perfect neo-Nazi. But in reality, he's working undercover, infiltrating a cell of violent white supremacists for the FBI. Vanessa Kirby joins Mike in the belly of the beast. Could YOU survive to tell the tale? F...

What secrets do you give away with the twitch of an eyelid - the tap of a finger? Joe Navarro knows. As an FBI agent, he developed an innate gift for reading body language. But when Joe came up against hyper-intelligent US traitor Rod Ramsay, those skills were put to the test. The consequences of failure? Nuclear. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of lies and misdirection. Could YOU look beneath the ma...

Ronen Bergman is comfortable in the company of spies. As one of Israel's foremost investigative journalists, he's been privy to the inner workings of the country's legendary intelligence community. But when he was tasked with writing a definitive history of the Mossad's targeted assassinations, he came up against serious resistance from inside the organisation. Vanessa Kirby gets the inside scoop...

Robert Wittman was a special kind of Special Agent. During his long career with the FBI, he went undercover to retrieve millions of dollars worth of stolen art. When a priceless Rembrandt was stolen from Sweden's National Gallery, Robert descended into Europe's criminal underworld to get it back. Vanessa Kirby narrates a high-stakes hunt for a truly unique prize. Would YOU accept the price of fail...

As head of the STARGATE programme, sponsored by the US Department of Defense, his job was to prove the existence of psychic phenomena - and then use them against America's enemies. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of remote viewing, daring rescues and Cold War intrigue. Could YOU explain the inexplicable? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, J...

It's 1944 - 3 days after D-Day. 22-year old Guy Stern lands in Normandy. Unlike many of his comrades in the US Army, it's not his first time in Europe. Forced to leave Germany in 1937, he returns as part of an elite Military Intelligence unit charged with interrogating German POWs in their native tongue. Now 99 years old, Guy tells Vanessa Kirby a story of wit and courage in the face of unimaginab...

Ryan Hillsberg can be whoever you want him to be. As a CIA case officer, he recruited assets for the Agency by transforming himself into their ideal companion - a confidante par excellence. But maintaining a degree of professional detachment isn't always easy. Vanessa Kirby follows Ryan on one of his most memorable recruitments. Could YOU make friends and influence people? From SPYSCAPE, the home...

CW: Animal cruelty. In South Korea, dog meat is a controversial delicacy. The farming of dogs for meat is largely unregulated, and animals are kept in horrendous conditions. Activists Nami Kim and Nina Jackel are on a personal mission to stop the slaughter. But to expose their enemies, they'll need to gather the right intelligence - and put their own safety on the line. Vanessa Kirby tells a story...

Across the ravaged towns and cities of Syria, looters are trafficking the country's rich reserves of priceless antiquities. Amr Al-Azm and Katie A. Paul, two US-based academics, became unlikely spymasters on a mission to hold the looters to account. Standing in their way are ISIS militants, a hostile regime and the world's largest social network. Vanessa Kirby tells a powerful story of preservatio...

Wayne Simmons was the toast of cable news. A former CIA officer with a storied operational history, he was called upon to comment on matters concerning the Agency. The only problem? He'd never served at all. Vanessa Kirby meets Kent Clizbe, the genuine ex-CIA operations officer who revealed Simmons' fraud to the world at large. Could YOU sniff out a liar? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup...