Before cocaine, before cartels and before borders as we know them, there was smuggling.

Former UK Customs officer and de facto drug war historian Mike Gough Cooper takes us deep into the fascinating history of what he calls the world’s second oldest profession.

From Roman Britain and Viking protection rackets to Robin Hood, and brutal smuggling gangs, this is the story of how smuggling shaped Britain, funded wars, corrupted officials, and helped create modern law enforcement. Customs men Geoffrey Chaucer, Robbie Burns and Dick Whittington all chased smugglers in their time.

Mike also explains how customs officers were once among the most powerful figures in the country, armed with extraordinary search powers, secret commissions, and even the authority to call in the military.

These are the Narco Warriors.
New episodes every Monday.

Host: Lindsay Charlton
Insider: Mike Gough Cooper

The inside scoop on the man who helped create Britain’s heroin market, and the secret war to stop him.

Gigi Bakir was a ruthless Turkish Cypriot kingpin who built the UK’s first industrial-scale heroin operation in the 1970s.

From knife fights in North London nightclubs to secret smuggling tricks, Bakir controlled the supply lines that fed Britain’s growing heroin market, moving drugs from the Golden Crescent through Europe and straight into London.

Then in a stunning twist... the smuggler turned informant.

Working both sides of the law, Bakir fed information to investigators while continuing to run his own drug empire.

In this episode of Narco Warriors, you’ll hear:

• How Turkish networks took over Europe’s heroin trade
• The violent rise of Gigi Bekir
• The smuggling techniques that evaded detection
• How he avoided conviction for a fatal stabbing
• And why he chose to become a “supergrass

A huge thank you to our guest Peter Walsh, author of “Drug War: The Secret History.” Peter has spent years uncovering the real stories behind the smugglers, the investigators, and the secret war that shaped modern Britain, and his insight into figures like Gigi Bekir is unmatched.

And there’s more big news…

Peter has just revealed that his book “The Betrayer,” co-written with undercover investigator Guy Stanton, has inspired a major six-part Netflix series starting May 7.

“LEGENDS” is written by Neil Forsyth (The Gold, Guilt), and stars Tom Burke as Guy Stanton, alongside Steve Coogan and Hayley Squires. The story dives into a covert HM Customs unit that infiltrated the drug underworld using fake identities, known as “legends.”

These are the Narco Warriors.
New episodes every Monday.

An officer kidnapped in Afghanistan, the drug Mule carrying three kilograms of cocaine in his stomach, staying alive in Africa - and taking on the Turkish Connection.

They were invited to an arms fair. They ended up in chains. Deep inside hostile territory on the Afghan border, three western Drug Liaison Officers find themselves kidnapped by Mujahideen fighters.

Any rescue attempt risked turning into a “bloodbath.”

Our veteran insiders reveal the “silver command” rescue mission, the 50-man fortified stronghold they faced, and the reality of life inside the mountain caves of Spin Boldak, in Afghanistan's Kandahar Province.

Plus, drug smuggling mules. They take a lethal risk that defies human biology… that's likely to leave a lump in your throat.

These are the Narco Warriors.
New episodes every Monday.

Host: Lindsay Charlton
Insiders: Phil Matthews, Graham Honey, Dave Cater and Steve Coates