Intrigue BBC Podcasts

The dramatic hunt for one of Europe's most-wanted people smugglers, recorded as it unfolds.
BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and volunteer aid worker, Rob Lawrie go on a search for a crime boss: a people smuggler on the run, whose codename is Scorpion. He is one of the central characters controlling the transport of migrants from the European mainland into the UK.
Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists. He started his criminal career in Britain and went on to build a smuggling empire which now spans the globe.
An international police surveillance operation trapped more than 20 of his gang and almost netted Scorpion himself, but he was tipped off and escaped.
Sue and Rob, two seasoned investigators, team up to try to do what the police have been unable to achieve: to find Scorpion, to speak to him, to ask him to account for his crimes and to seek justice for the families he has harmed.
Their investigation takes them to the heart of an organised criminal gang making millions from transporting thousands of migrants on boat and lorry crossings that in some cases have gone dangerously wrong, causing serious injury and putting lives at risk. They witness his operation in action and record as intense situations unfold, where vulnerable people desperate for a better future, put their lives in the hands of ruthless and dangerous criminals.
As they edge ever closer, they meet the people helping and supporting Scorpion and unpick the financial side of his business funding his luxury life. As they start to understand the man himself, can they garner enough clues to trace his whereabouts?

‘Jaw-dropping’, ‘gripping’, ‘bingeable,’ ‘thrilling’ – Dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works.
Catch up on the previous series and be the first to hear about what's coming up.

Million Dollar Lover is an unlikely love story, recorded in real time as the relationship unfolds between Carolyn, who is 80 and has properties worth a few million dollars, and Dave, 57, a former drug addict who is homeless and has spent a decade in jail.
The story captured the attention of the BBC Journalist Sue Mitchell, as it was unfolding on her street. She spends a lot of time in California – she married an American and her award-winning journalism has been about the lives of people like Dave who inhabit the dangerous margins of society.
There are so many homeless people in America that the wealthy can no longer avoid contact with them. When Dave arrives in Cayucos, a charming beach town, prosperous and sunny all year round, he goes to church. Some people there try to help him find work and recommend him to Carolyn as an odd job man. She falls in love with him and within a fortnight, Dave has moved in.
Dave is a talented man – a skilled joiner and musician who makes and sells jewellery. With Carolyn’s support, he is ambitions for his future. He appears to be thriving and so does she. But she is vulnerable following the death of her husband. Her family fear she is showing signs of cognitive decline and she certainly struggles to manage her finances. She also yearns to feel the love that comes from a romantic relationship and to feel needed again.
Her neighbour, Marie, says it is something she sees a lot amongst the elderly people she cares for; it is a desire to be loved and to be in love which does not diminish with age. Marie cautions Carolyn against rushing into a relationship with Dave, but it is too late. Soon Marie is left watching from the side-lines as Carolyn starts cutting off friends and relatives who question her.
Her middle-aged daughters are increasingly worried for their Mum and for the money they expected to inherit from her; a property portfolio which their parents and grandparents had built up over the years. They fear Dave might be taking advantage of Carolyn and ask her to be assessed for mental incapacity: it seems the only explanation they can find for why she has fallen so deeply under his spell.
Sue Michell is a skilled investigator who uncovers horrors in Dave’s past that he has never mentioned to a living soul. She also brings her knowledge of elder abuse and exposes how the process of ageing makes subtle changes that can alter how we see others - particularly strangers who seem loving, young, and strong.
Is Dave really a tender carer who will cherish Carolyn to the end as he promises, or is he a dangerous interloper who will fleece Carolyn – breaking her heart and her family?
New episodes will be released on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Intrigue first on BBC Sounds. https://bbc.in/3WEQS5W
Million Dollar Lover is produced by BBC Audio, the team behind The Boy in the Woods and is presented by Sue Mitchell.
The series is scripted by Winifred Robinson; the producers are Sue Mitchell and Joel Moors; the dramaturg is Flo Dessau and sound design is by Tom Brignall. The series Editor is Philip Sellars

Million Dollar Lover is an unlikely love story, recorded in real time as the relationship unfolds between Carolyn, who is 80 and has a valuable property portfolio, and Dave, 57, a former drug addict who is homeless and has spent a decade in jail.
The story captured the attention of the BBC Journalist Sue Mitchell, as it was unfolding on her street. She spends a lot of time in California – she married an American and her award-winning journalism has been about the lives of people like Dave who inhabit the dangerous margins of society.
There are so many homeless people in America that the wealthy can no longer avoid contact with them. When Dave arrives in Cayucos, a charming beach town, prosperous and sunny all year round, he goes to church. Some people there try to help him find work and recommend him to Carolyn as an odd job man. She falls in love with him and within a fortnight, Dave has moved in.
Is Dave really a tender carer who will cherish Carolyn to the end as he promises, or is he a dangerous interloper who will fleece Carolyn – breaking her heart and her family?
New episodes will be released on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Intrigue first on BBC Sounds. https://bbc.in/3WEQS5W
Million Dollar Lover is produced at BBC Audio by the team behind The Boy in the Woods and is presented by Sue Mitchell.
The series is scripted by Winifred Robinson; the producers are Sue Mitchell and Joel Moors; the dramaturg is Flo Dessau and sound design is by Tom Brignall. The editor is Philip Sellars.

Carolyn had not expected to fall in love at 80 and certainly not to someone 23 years younger. But she has embraced all aspects of her new relationship, including having sex and being open with her daughters about that. Her honesty has not gone down well and even her Pastor, Dale James, is shocked that the couple are now living together in this way.
Concerned about the speed of the relationship and the direction it's taking, Carolyn's daughters turn to the police and outside agencies for help. They believe their Mum is in the early stages of dementia, but her GP did not support their diagnosis and now Carolyn will not go back for further tests. Their options for stopping Dave taking control of their Mum's life appear to be limited and they fear what might happen.
Million Dollar Lover is an unlikely love story, recorded over a year as the relationship unfolds between Carolyn, who has a valuable property portfolio, and Dave, a former drug addict who was homeless and has a long criminal record.
Soon everyone is asking whether he is really a tender carer or a dangerous interloper who will fleece her – breaking her heart and her family?
New episodes will be released on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Intrigue first on BBC Sounds. https://bbc.in/3WEQS5W
Million Dollar Lover is produced at BBC Audio by the team behind The Boy in the Woods and is presented by Sue Mitchell.
The series is scripted by Winifred Robinson; the producers are Sue Mitchell and Joel Moors; the dramaturg is Flo Dessau and sound design is by Tom Brignall.

Carolyn is facing mounting opposition to her relationship with Dave, who is 23 years younger than her and a world away in terms of wealth and lifestyle. She is being forced to make the most difficult choice possible: between her daughters and her new lover. The situation becomes so heated that it finally erupts into violence.
Opposition to Dave makes Carolyn more determined to support him and she decides to take back control of her finances from her daughters. They fear she is showing signs of mental incapacity and want her to agree to be tested, but Carolyn is digging her heels in and is adamant that she can make her own decisions
The situation is escalating really quickly, with her daughters are increasingly on the side-lines - powerless to act. They have huge concerns about Dave, who has a long criminal record and was homeless and addicted to the drug, Crystal Meth. They cannot get their Mum to listen and as long as she says she is happy, there appears to be nothing that they can do.
Million Dollar Lover is an unlikely love story, recorded over a year as the relationship unfolds between Carolyn, who is 80 and has a valuable property portfolio, and Dave, 57, who arrives in the idyllic Californian resort of Cayucos by chance and quickly decides to make it his home
New episodes will be released on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest full series of Intrigue first on BBC Sounds. https://bbc.in/3WEQS5W
Million Dollar Lover is produced at BBC Audio by the team behind The Boy in the Woods and is presented by Sue Mitchell.
The series is scripted by Winifred Robinson; the producers are Sue Mitchell and Joel Moors; the dramaturg is Flo Dessau and sound design is by Tom Brignall.