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 campaign against PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs), a front for the militant Islamist organisation Qibla that carried out hundreds of bombings and at least 150 killings in Cape Town in the late 1990s.

They also discuss what happened to the generation of capable officers who ran that operation — and the challenges faced by South Africa's crime intelligence apparatus today.

Lives on the Line is available now.

Subscribe for new episodes of Underworlds with Mark Shaw, where GI-TOC's Director of Research explores the global underworld of organised crime with the authors, analysts, and insiders who know it best.

🌐 GI-TOC: globalinitiative.net

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction — David Africa & Lives on the Line

2:00 From ANC underground to police intelligence

6:00 What was PAGAD?

12:00 Why the threat was ignored

18:00 The ideology behind PAGAD's campaign

22:18 Building the intelligence response

29:51 Inside the operations

32:50 South Africa's policing crisis today

39:22 Closing reflections

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 ransomware groups use—how they trick their targets but also need to build trust to get paid. It also looks at how these criminal operations have grown from small groups into well-organized businesses focused on making money.

Toward the end, Mark and Max talk about what this means for cybersecurity and the global fight against ransomware. This episode gives you a clear look at one of today’s biggest digital security challenges, including cyberattacks, data breaches, and how to protect yourself online.

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Max Smeets’ book ‘Ransom War’ is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ransom-War-Became-National-Security/dp/191172391X

An audiobook is also available here: https://amzn.eu/d/1b1PMlX

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Underworlds with Mark Shaw Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0ss7EEqXOflp3d-lZw4LfIe

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📱 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@UCP-lqJdhM-9iDKkswuVcXZA

🌎 VISIT US! Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - https://globalinitiative.net/

🎧Audio version: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/18f9e732-a770-4e43-a109-c44c9291e581/

🎧WHY NOT TRY OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

🎧Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0spSX0QUq7j0NmIZOqyDTZQ

🎧The Index - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0uc_4CftGl8PrwHA3IK5WeI

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FOLLOW US

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LinkedIn - @Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

IG - @gi_toc

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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’s destruction and subsequent insurance claims exposed a web of deceit.

Maritime surveyor Captain David Mockett uncovered inconsistencies in the official story, threatening to reveal a larger conspiracy—ultimately leading to his tragic murder.

The episode also explores the insurance industry’s complicity, raising ethical questions about accountability in handling suspicious claims.

Listen to uncover the shocking truth behind this maritime fraud case.

Timecodes:

0:00 – Intro

01:58.832 - The scale of fraud in the shipping industry

05:48.399 - The Greek shipping industry

08:01.076 - Complicity of shipping insurance industry

11:17.973 - Brillante Virtuoso Story

14:54.102 – The murder of Capt. David Mockett

18:06.475 - Connecting with Cynthia Mockett

20:59.461 - Richard Veale & Michael Conner: The Investigators

24:59.447 - The owner of the Brillante Virtuoso

28:17.523 - Unresolved case

29:44.903 - Building a narrative around such a complex case

35:38.745 - Collaborating with Kit Chellel

38:32.093 - What was left out

41:43.017 - Response to the book

43:26.518 - Response from Lloyds of London

44:35.353 - Next project and thoughts on books like Dead in the Water

48:15.185 - Outro

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Federico Varese's book ‘Dead in the Water’ is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Water-Hijacking-Maritime-Conspiracy/dp/0593329236

An audiobook is also available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Water-Murder-Secretive-Industry/dp/B0B5VMXF33/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0

====================================================

Underworlds with Mark Shaw Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0ss7EEqXOflp3d-lZw4LfIe

====================================================

📱 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@UCP-lqJdhM-9iDKkswuVcXZA

🌎 VISIT US! Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - https://globalinitiative.net/

🎧Audio version: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/18f9e732-a770-4e43-a109-c44c9291e581/

🎧WHY NOT TRY OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

🎧Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0spSX0QUq7j0NmIZOqyDTZQ

🎧The Index - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0uc_4CftGl8PrwHA3IK5WeI

===================================================

FOLLOW US

X - @gitoc

LinkedIn - @Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

IG - @gi_toc

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