Underworlds with Mark Shaw

Journalist and author Melissa Del Bosque joins host Mark Shaw on Underworlds to discuss her book Bloodlines: How the FBI Took on Mexico's Most Violent Drug Cartel — a gripping account of how Los Zetas laundered cartel money through the Quarter Horse racing industry in Texas. Melissa breaks down how a group of Mexican special forces, became bodyguards for the Gulf Cartel, before splintering off to...

In the early years of South Africa's democracy, a small unit of police intelligence officers was fighting a war most people didn't know was happening — and that their own government didn't want to believe was real. Mark Shaw speaks with David Africa, former ANC underground operative turned police intelligence officer, about his book Lives on the Line — an unusually candid account of the covert cam...

Ransomware is a growing threat in our digital world, changing how cybercrime works. In this podcast, Mark talks to Max Smeets, an academic and author, about the rise of ransomware as detailed in his book Ransom War. The book zooms in on the infamous Conti ransomware group, which disbanded in 2022, to show how these cybercriminal organizations operate. The discussion covers the clever tactics ranso...

The global shipping industry, vital for international trade, is a hotbed for criminal activities like maritime fraud. In this podcast episode, journalist and author Matthew Campbell, co-author of Dead in the Water, joins Mark to unravel the Brillante Virtuoso case. In 2011, this oil tanker, traveling from Crimea to China, was reportedly attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. However, the vessel’...

Russia in Four Criminals: Exploring Russian Organized Crime with Federico Varese. Join host Mark in a riveting episode of Underworlds as he interviews renowned academic and author Federico Varese about his book, Russia in Four Criminals. With over 30 years studying global organized crime, Varese offers unparalleled insights into Russian organized crime and its evolution. Russia in Four Criminals p...

Mafiopoli: Uncovering the ’Ndrangheta, Italy’s Most Powerful Mafia. In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews Dutch journalist and author Sanne De Boer about her book, Mafiopoli: Living Among the ’Ndrangheta – Italy’s Most Powerful Crime Organisation. Based in Calabria, home to the rugged Aspromonte Mountains, De Boer reveals the ’Ndrangheta’s rise as Europe’s cocaine trade kingpin, wit...

Rinsed: How Tech Fuels Money Laundering for Cartels and Cybercriminals In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews journalist and author Geoff White about his book, Rinsed: From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks . Discover how cybercriminals exploit platforms like Axie Infinity, Call of Duty, Backpage, and Tornado Cash to launder illici...

Man Alone: Mandela’s top cop – exposing South Africa’s ceaseless sabotage In this episode Mark sits down with journalist Caryn Dolley to discuss her latest book, ‘Man Alone: Mandela’s top cop – exposing South Africa’s ceaseless sabotage’. Man Alone follows the career of a remarkable South African police officer called André Lincoln, who passed away in May 2025. He was handpicked during the 1990s b...

Underworlds with Mark Shaw is returning for another season. Mark sits down with authors to discuss their investigations into the murky world of organized crime. In season two, we hear about a range of stories such as money laundering and cryptocurrency; the 'Ndrangheta's expansion from Calabria, Italy to other countries of Europe. Also the story of a leading South African police officer, who was t...

Russia, the Wagner Group and the Fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin. In this episode, Mark sits down with Professor Mark Galeotti, to discuss his new book, co-authored with Anna Arutunyan, ‘Downfall: Prigozhin, Putin, and the new fight for the future of Russia’. The life of Yevgeny Prigozhin was nothing if not extraordinary. After an earlier stint in prison in Russia, he turned his hands to business, becam...

What role do women play in the Latin American drug cartels? In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist Deborah Bonello to discuss her book ‘Narcas: The Secret Rise of Women in Latin America's Cartels’. During the trial of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman in 2018-19, there was only one woman named on the indictment, Guadalupe Fernández-Valencia, the unassuming elderly woman is the highe...

What links the Italian mafia, the DEA, and Hezbollah?  In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist Miles Johnson, to discuss his book ‘Chasing Shadows: A True Story of the Mafia, Drugs and Terrorism’. Miles discovered a DEA investigation into a money laundering network in Europe, which branched out to reveal the truly global nature of organized crime, and how it intersects w...

How did the Kinahan organized crime group rise to the top of cocaine trafficking in Europe? In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist and author Nicola Tallant to discuss her book ‘Cocaine Cowboys: The Deadly Rise of Ireland's Drug Lords’. At the end of the 90s, Ireland was booming, the ‘Celtic Tiger’ had risen. People had more money to spend on leisure activities, and on drugs...

Are these the twilight years of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia? In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist and author Jake Adelstein to discuss his book ‘The Last Yakuza: A Life in the Japanese Underworld’. The Yakuza have been part of the fabric of Japanese society for decades, they have inspired films and fanzines, invested in social network websites, provided humanitarian ass...

The History of the American Mafia: How the Mob Built Its Empire in the US, with Former Gambino Crime Family Associate, Louis Ferrante. In this episode, Mark sits down with former Mob associate Louis Ferrante to discuss his book, Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia. The history of the American Mafia, known as La Cosa Nostra or simply "The Mob," is well known. Prohibition in...

Welcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw. Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more exciting than fiction. From the golden age of the American mafia (La Cosa Nostra), to the modern-day cocaine empires, and from the shadowy links between organized crime and terrorism, to the twili...