GANDHINAGAR: Sue Mitchell, the award-winning audio documentarian behind “Million Dollar Lover” and “The Smugglers’ Trail,” returns with another hard-hitting investigation in “To Catch a Scorpion” for BBC Sounds. This gripping series delves into the murky world of people smuggling, specifically targeting a notorious criminal nicknamed “Scorpion” (real name Barzan Majeed).
Mitchell, known for her engaging narration and insightful interviews, teams up with Rob Lawrie, a former soldier with a history of aiding migrants. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to expose Scorpion’s operation, estimated to be worth millions. Each overcrowded dinghy crossing the Channel can net Scorpion close to half a million pounds, highlighting the desperation exploited by these smugglers.
The podcast doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities. We hear from a former associate, revealing the exorbitant fees charged for each stage of the dangerous journey – from £800 to get near a lorry to a staggering £8,000 for a spot on a dinghy. Shockingly, some migrants are even offered bribes to bypass security and board ferries directly.
Lawrie, a central character in Mitchell’s earlier work “Girl Taken,” plays a crucial role. His connections across Europe, from Calais to Iraq, prove invaluable in navigating the complex smuggling networks. The podcast adopts a bottom-up approach, meticulously revealing the inner workings of these operations and the motivations behind them. Unlike smugglers, the series acknowledges the options available to migrants in other European nations.
“To Catch a Scorpion” doesn’t shy away from capturing the action firsthand. Mitchell and Lawrie find themselves in a tense situation, tracking a lorry suspected of carrying migrants in the dead of night. In later episodes, they encounter a kind-hearted Belgian woman who defies the criminal networks by offering migrants a safe haven in her home. Whether they manage to apprehend Scorpion remains to be seen, but the journey so far is a riveting exploration of a hidden world.
Meanwhile, Romesh Ranganathan takes the reins on Saturday mornings on Radio 2, filling the slot previously held by Claudia Winkleman. While his infectious energy and likeability are undeniable, the show is still finding its footing. The current format features underwhelming competitions, and the inclusion of friends for chat segments can lead to uncontrolled hilarity. Ranganathan’s first show with Rob Beckett exemplified this, descending into laughter without clear context.
The second episode, featuring Martin and Roman Kemp promoting their podcast, offered a glimpse of potential. Ranganathan shared a heartwarming anecdote about his father, followed by a disastrous segment where the elder Kemp introduced a ghost-spotting app. This highlights the need for better control over the flow of the show, ensuring laughter doesn’t overshadow clarity or encroach on the listeners’ needs.