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The Crime Agents

Global
Policing
Metropolitan Police
Criminal Justice System
Public Safety
Counter-Terrorism Policing
Knife Crime
London
Counter-Terrorism
Shoplifting
Drug Trafficking
Public Trust In Police
Violence
Crown Prosecution Service
Organized Crime
Terrorism
Cocaine
Notting Hill Carnival
Youth Violence
Curtis Warren
999 Calls

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... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes109Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
True CrimeSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Crime Agents

Latest Episodes

Nigel Farage says Essex Police warned him to stay away from the Clacton by-election count. Essex Police say that never happened. So who's lying? And why are politicians increasingly dragging the police into their political battles? In this week's Q&A... more

Three British politicians have been killed in the space of a decade. Jo Cox. David Amess. And now Ann Widdecombe. How has political violence in Britain reached this point? And why are most of our MPs still unprotected?

In this episode, Andy and Neil... more

Daniel Kinahan - allegedly one of the world's most powerful gangsters - arrived at a Dublin court this week under near-unprecedented security. Was that level of protection justified, or was it theatre from the Irish state? And how was he finally extr... more

Imagine a phone network built exclusively for criminals. Encrypted. Untraceable. Designed to destroy evidence at the touch of a button. For years, EncroChat gave drug cartels, hitmen and money launderers the confidence to plan serious crime openly, b... more

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Recent Guests

Tony Saggers
Ex-head of Drugs Threat & Intelligence, National Crime Agency
National Crime Agency
Episode: How police infiltrated Europe’s biggest drug cartels
John Sutherland
Senior hostage negotiator for the Metropolitan Police (The Met), author
Metropolitan Police / Author
Episode: ‘Are you ready to save a life?’ The reality of hostage negotiation
Tommy Robinson
Guest on episode (referred to as a back-on-our-podcast guest)
Far-right activist and public figure
Episode: The Salisbury Poisonings: the day Putin attacked Britain
Matt Shea
Investigative journalist who fronted Channel 4 Dispatches investigation into court non-attendance
Channel 4 Dispatches
Episode: Britain's most wanted: hunting down fugitives
Becki Houlston
Victim advocate and survivor who contributed to keeping Worboys behind bars
Center for Women's Justice (advocacy)
Episode: John Worboys: the true horror of the black cab rapist
Shelia Fogarty
Journalist, Presenter
BBC/LBC
Episode: James Bulger: the story that shocked the world
Cheska Hill-Wood
Former Harrods employee and survivor who spoke out about Al Fayed's abuse
Harrods
Episode: Mohamed Al Fayed: power, abuse & cover-up
Charlotte Littlewood
Former Prevent Practitioner and De-Radicalisation Expert
Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism / Former Prevent
Episode: ‘How Dare You!’ Zack Polanski vs The Police
Clive Driscoll
Detective Chief Inspector, leading the DCI on the Steven Lawrence investigation
Metropolitan Police
Episode: Cold case: how the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence was solved

Hosts

Andy Hughes
LBC crime correspondent and investigative journalist with two decades reporting on criminal underworlds.
Neil Basu
Former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing; ex-cop with deep experience in counter-extremism and major investigations.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 411 ratings
  • Disappointing

    Only you 2 could turn an episode on fusilier rigbey into a right wing hate fest. What horrible rats

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Stevoc1872
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • One of the best

    This combination of hosts is excellent. It’s nice to find a cop who was genuinely trying to do the right thing. My experience of cops is very different!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jerrymarks
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • A tale of 2 halves

    Neil Basu is excellent. Very interesting insight and perspective. The other presenter is just so lightweight. Spoils an otherwise excellent series.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Notanotherprofile
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Get the facts

    These guys reckon there’s no tier policing in the UK when it’s so blatantly evident. Govt has spent $millions training cops re how to handle differing ethnics. M/while, they are throwing English Caucasians in gaol for complaining on social media. You two guys are part of the problem. Once a bad cop always a bad cop.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    bob--C
    Australia2 months ago
  • Bit stale male for me

    Covers some interesting topics but Andy’s right wing views lack insight and are unsurprisingly uninformed for a journalist. He makes Neil (the cop who’s done every job in the met) seem almost empathetic and sensible. The narrative on crime and justice, the reasons for offending and the huge disparities between how people of colour are treated versus white people need to be analysed and challenged, and this podcast unfortunately does not do that. How about a series of episodes on the Lambeth CSA ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Azalea Blooms
    United Kingdom2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes that mix survivor stories with policy analysis are particularly impactful for listeners and potential sponsors.
Guest balance and expertise are a strong draw for listeners who want informed perspectives on crime and policing.
Co-hosts' experience helps unpack complex issues but can polarize some audiences.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Q&A: Kinahan in court & how police let Simon Levy kill
Q: Sarah on Instagram asks whether the Met Commissioner will acknowledge institutional misogyny in light of the Simon Levy case, and how the force's handling of violence against women is being reviewed.
The hosts discuss multi-agency protection failures (MAPA), downgrading risk assessments, and calls for accountability, noting that investigations and inquiries are ongoing to determine accountability and improve systemic responses.
Q&A: Kinahan in court & how police let Simon Levy kill
Q: Shell on email asks how names of major police operations are chosen, and whether there is more logic behind them than meets the eye.
They describe a practice of using place names, sometimes scrubbing problematic ones due to press sensitivity, with CT operations following similar naming conventions.
Q&A: Kinahan in court & how police let Simon Levy kill
Q: Ronan on TikTok asks how Daniel Kinahan was suddenly extradited to Ireland and whether the security around his court appearance was necessary or over the top.
The hosts explain the extradition was the result of years of international legal processes, treaty work with Dubai, and coordinated police action, arguing the security was necessary given Kinahan's prominence and risk level.
How police infiltrated Europe’s biggest drug cartels
Q: What was the biggest obstacle for policing before bringing AI and data integration into investigations?
Fragmentation of data across many police forces and the difficulty of obtaining timely, unified access to diverse datasets; AI and advanced data aggregation are seen as the major game changers for speeding up analytics and case development.
Q&A: PC Andrew Harper's killers, funeral director horror & why cops don't report their own
Q: What impact did Harper's Law have on the sentencing landscape, and why are there concerns about it not preventing early release in practice?
Harper's Law raised the penalties for killing an emergency worker, but the discussion notes that the perpetrators in the Harper case were still eligible for early release under different provisions, prompting scrutiny of how laws are applied.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Crime Agents

What is The Crime Agents about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A hard-edged look at crime, policing, and public trust in modern Britain, driven by two veteran insiders who bring frontline policing experience and investigative journalism to every episode. Episodes cover topics from counter-terrorism and high-profile investigations to gang dynamics, gender-based violence, and systemic policing reforms, often interweaving survivor testimonies, expert analysis, and policy implications. Listeners can expect candid debates, practical policing insights, and a willingness to challenge official narratives, with a preference for accountability and nuanced coverage over idealized portrayals. Noteworthy is the blend of personal policing experience with investigative rigor, producing a front-row view into how crime... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Crime Agents?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Crime Agents:

1. The News Agents - USA
2. The News Agents
3. Full Disclosure with James O'Brien
4. The Rest Is Politics
5. Electoral Dysfunction

How many episodes of The Crime Agents are there?

The Crime Agents launched a year ago and published 109 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Crime Agents?

Recent guests on The Crime Agents include:

1. Tony Saggers
2. John Sutherland
3. Tommy Robinson
4. Matt Shea
5. Becki Houlston
6. Shelia Fogarty
7. Cheska Hill-Wood
8. Charlotte Littlewood

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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