''Banged Up Abroad'' (rebadged as ''Locked Up Abroad'' in Asia and the United States, and ''Jailed Abroad'' in India, for the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...

) is a British documentary/

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

television series created by Bart Layton that was produced for Channel 5 and that premiered in March 2006. Most episodes feature stories of people who have been arrested while travelling abroad, usually for trying to smuggle

illegal drugs Illegal may refer to: Law * Violation of law ** Crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and uni ...

, although some episodes feature people who were either kidnapped or captured while they were either travelling or living in other countries. Some episodes have featured real-life stories that first became well known when they were made the subject of a film: films that have been 're-made' in this way include '' Midnight Express'', '' Goodfellas'', '' The Devil's Double'', ''

Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...

'', '' Mr Nice'' and, to a lesser extent, ''

Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

'' (with the story of Frank Cullotta). A few episodes have focused on undercover infiltrations of criminal syndicates by law enforcement agents or individuals recruited by them. Since 2006, there have been a total of 13 regular series, plus a special series called ''Kidnapped Abroad''. The fifteenth series began airing in October 2022.

Episode format

The episodes typically contain a mixture of interviews with the real people and actors reconstructing the events. The convicted or captured are shown talking about their experiences, combined with dramatic reenactments of their respective experiences. The episodes focus on the events leading up to the arrest or time in captivity. In a few of the cases, at the end of the episode, the convicted are shown sitting with hand-cuffs on if they are still in prison. In most cases, the convicted or captured have returned home. In some episodes, the convicted or captured are shown revisiting the region in which the incident occurred.

Episodes

Series 1 (2006)

;Episode 1:

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

(Scott and Lucy's Story) :Scott Campbell and Lucy Baker are British travellers arrested in Mexico for having drugs. ;Episode 2:

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

(The Sandra Gregory Story) : Sandra Gregory is arrested in Thailand trying to smuggle

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

into Japan. ;Episode 3:

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

(Mark's Story) :Mark Knowles is arrested in Sydney after attempting to smuggle

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

from the U.S. to Australia. ;Episode 4:

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

(Denis and Donald's Story) :Donald McNeil, a yachtsman, is arrested after being pressured to collect an enormous shipment of cocaine worth £30 million from

Margarita Island Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the States of Venezuela, Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north west coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the ...

(more than $43.2 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

). Later it was found that Edward Jarvis was the man named in the episode as "Frank"; he was later caught and arrested.

Series 2 (2007)

;Episode 1:

(James and Paul's Story) :Jim Miles and Paul Loseby, two British teenagers, are arrested in Venezuela for trying to smuggle drugs. ;Episode 2:

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

(Krista and Jennifer's Story/Peruvian Prison Nightmare) :Krista Barnes and Jennifer Davis are two American women arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru. ;Episode 3:

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

(Piers' Story) :Piers Hernu, a dual British-French traveller, is arrested trying to smuggle 28 kilos of gold bullion from Hong Kong to Nepal. ;Episode 4:

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

(Glen's story) :Glen Heggstad, an American adventurer, is kidnapped by the Colombian National Liberation Army.

Series 3 (2008)

;Episode 1:

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

(Scott's Story) : Scott White is arrested in Kuwait for selling hashish, then escapes from jail during the 1990

invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, codenamed Project 17, began on 2 August 1990 and marked the beginning of the Gulf War. After defeating the Kuwait, State of Kuwait on 4 August 1990, Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq went on to militarily occupy the country fo ...

. ;Episode 2:

: Russell Thoresen, an American traveller, is arrested in Peru for trying to smuggle cocaine. ;Episode 3:

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

: Lia McCord, an American teenager, is arrested in Bangladesh for trying to smuggle heroin. ;Episode 4:

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

: Amardeep Bassey, a British journalist on the way to Afghanistan for an assignment, is accused of being a spy and arrested in Pakistan. ;Episode 5:

:Sarah Jackson convinces her friend Simon Burke to go to Peru with her in order to serve as her unwitting drug-

smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...

accomplice. Jackson was in the middle of serving a seven-year sentence when the episode was produced. ;Episode 6:

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

:Taiwan's most-wanted criminal breaks into the house of McGill Alexander, a South African army colonel, and takes Alexander and his family

hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...

. ;Episode 7:

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

:An American, Daniel Van De Zande is arrested trying to smuggle cocaine from Ecuador to Europe. ;Episode 8:

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

:Cullen Thomas, working with his girlfriend "Rocket," is arrested trying to smuggle hashish from the Philippines to South Korea.

Series 4 – Kidnapped (2009)

In 2008, five additional episodes were produced, each one about a kidnapping, under the alternate title "''Kidnapped Abroad''." ;Episode 1:

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

/Death in the Jungle :Safari guide Mark Ross and his tour group are kidnapped by

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...

rebels in

. ;Episode 2:

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

/Nightmare in Chechnya :Jon James and Camilla Carr, who run a children's center in

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

, are kidnapped by Chechnyan soldiers, then raped and tortured. ;Episode 3:

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

/Hostage to Terror : Rhys Partridge and Béla Nuss are kidnapped by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh while traveling in India. ;Episode 4:

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

: Fatal Mission/Kidnapped by Terrorists : Gracia and Martin Burnham, Christian missionaries in the

, are kidnapped by members of

Abu Sayyaf Abu Sayyaf (; , ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, was a Jihadist militant and piracy, pirate group that followed the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It was based in and around Jolo and B ...

, a Muslim fundamentalist group. ;Episode 5:

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

/Nightmare Vacation :While vacationing in

, Monique and Callie Strydom are kidnapped by a Muslim militant group and held hostage for four months in the Philippines.

Series 5 (2010)

;Episode 1:

/Venezuela Blues :David Evans is arrested trying to smuggle drugs from Venezuela to Amsterdam. ;Episode 2:

/Terror Island/Kidnapped in the Philippines :Church volunteer Greg Williams is kidnapped and tortured by members of

. ;Episode 3:

/Mexican Justice :Jake Libbon gets arrested in Mexico for selling

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

, then is falsely accused of shooting two

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

s. ;Episode 4:

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

/Brazil's Worst Prison/Busted in Brazil :Hollywood "party animal" Brendan Cosso and three friends are arrested trying to smuggle cocaine out of Brazil. ;Episode 5:

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

/Escape from Hell/Busted in Bali :Chris Parnell is arrested in Indonesia after being accused of smuggling hashish. ;Episode 6:

/Boy From The Ghetto/Busted in Mexico :American teenager Alex Silva is arrested trying to smuggle marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. ;Episode 7:

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

/What's in The Bag :In order to see her daughter, American Kahlilah Saleem is forced by her boyfriend to smuggle cocaine through Cuba. ;Episode 8:

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

/Kidnapped in Iraq :Journalists Scott Taylor and Zeynep Tugrul are kidnapped by

insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregular forces face a large, well ...

who accuse them of being American spies. ;Episode 9:

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

/Busted and Pregnant :British teen Zara Whittaker is arrested at an airport trying to smuggle cocaine out of Barbados. ;Episode 10:

/Master of Deception/Betrayed in Ecuador :Zoe McGarry, an Irish woman living in London, receives an 8-year prison sentence in Ecuador after the rucksack she was carrying is found to contain drugs. She claims she did not know the bag contained drugs and was duped by someone who asked her for help. ;Episode 11:

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

/Jungle Siege :Major Phil Ashby, tasked with disarming rebel fighters in Sierra Leone, becomes trapped and attempts a daring escape. ;Episode 12:

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

/Jamaican Getaway :T.K. White and her girlfriend are sent to Kingston's notorious central prison after attempting to smuggle marijuana. ;Episode 13:

/Delhi/Party Girl : Clare Matthews, a British woman on extended vacation in

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

, ends up in an Indian prison after attempting to mail

hashish Hashish (; ), usually abbreviated as hash, is a Compression (physics), compressed form of resin (trichomes) derived from the cannabis flowers. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, As a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive ...

from

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

Series 6 (2011)

;Episode 1:

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

/The Real Midnight Express :The 1977 book '' Midnight Express'', and the Oscar-winning 1978 film on which it was based, also called '' Midnight Express'', told the story of 20-year-old college student Billy Hayes, his imprisonment for drug smuggling and his escape from the infamous Sagmalcilar Prison in Istanbul, Turkey. But for legal reasons, the book, which Hayes co-wrote, was not completely accurate and the film version strayed even further from the truth, reportedly for artistic reasons. In this episode, Hayes tells the full story of being sent to the brutal Turkish prison and his eventual escape. ;Episode 2:

/Human Shields in Iraq :When

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

invaded Kuwait in 1990, Tom Lynch and his fellow contractor John White decided to get out of Iraq while they still could, but were captured by Iraqi soldiers and taken to a notorious prison in Baghdad, where they must listen to inmates being tortured to death. ;Episode 3:

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

/Tokyo Takedown :After accepting an offer to work as a hostess in Japan, Jackie Nichols meets a charming Israeli drug smuggler and agrees to smuggle hashish with him. She gets away with it four times, but the fifth time, she's not so lucky. ;Episode 4:

/Bangkok Underworld :A 28-year-old English teacher named Tim Schrader agrees to smuggle eight kilos of heroin into the U.S. to solve his financial problems. Although he knows he could receive the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

, the money is too tempting to resist. ;Episode 5:

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

/Sold My Soul :With his girlfriend pregnant, American musician Michael Morey needs money and agrees to smuggle cocaine from Quito to Spain. He barely makes it through Ecuadorian

customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

, but when he lands and goes through Spanish customs, he's not so lucky. ;Episode 6:

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

/Colombia Ambush :Young American backpacker Mark Wedeven and his companions decide to cross from Panama to Colombia through the jungles of the

Darién Gap The Darién Gap (, , ) is a geographic region that connects the Americas, American continents, stretching across southern Panama's Darién Province and the northern portion of Colombia's Chocó Department. Consisting of a large drainage basin, ...

, where they are kidnapped by a paramilitary group.

Series 7 (2012)

;Episode 1:

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

/The Real Goodfella :

Henry Hill Henry Hill Jr. (June 11, 1943 – June 12, 2012) was an American mobster who was associated with the Lucchese crime family of New York City from 1955 until 1980, when he was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant. Hill testi ...

, the inspiration behind the classic film '' Goodfellas'', relives his descent from Mafia wise guy to a term in Terminal Island Penitentiary. ;Episode 2:

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

/Saudi Bootlegger :Gordon Malloch's bootleg booze racket fuelled a party lifestyle in Saudi Arabia, until he gets caught and finds himself facing four years in prison. ;Episode 3:

/Prisoner of Love :Briton David Scott tells the story of finding his soulmate in the Philippines, and risking a 14-year prison sentence for adultery. ;Episode 4:

/Funny Money :After heading to Mexico with a suitcase of fake money to buy drugs, California bodybuilder Jeremy Khinoo finds himself behind bars and in big trouble. ;Episode 5:

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

/Heroin Sting :After being caught with a kilo of heroin in Mauritius, Brigene Young faces 45 years in jail unless she can help catch the drug traffickers. Young eventually served 7 years in prison. ;Episode 6:

/Daredevil Drug Runner :The tale of Chris Chance, whose daredevil life smuggling cannabis into the U.K. concealed in a rubber body suit leads to a nasty prison sentence at Carabanchel Prison. ;Episode 7:

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

/The Cocaine Trap : Stephen Sutton gets caught up when he is offered $15,000 to transport cocaine disguised as gold, leading to an 11-year prison sentence. ;Episode 8:

/Drug Dealer Revenge :Company director Robert Pringle is sentenced to seven years in a violent South-American lock-up after being pressured by his dealer to smuggle drugs. ;Episode 9:

/Teenage Drug Smuggler :Vivian Carrasquillo faces a crash diet in jail after an attempt to raise funds for gastric bypass surgery by becoming a drug mule backfires. ;Episode 10:

/Backstabbed in Thailand :Military veteran Kim Hood faces life behind bars in a squalid Thai prison after being caught smuggling 14 kilos of heroin with a friend.

Series 8 (2013)

;Episode 1:

/Cocaine Mule Mom :Ruthie Lambert, a middle-aged mother of three, decides to smuggle drugs to make ends meet. She is imprisoned for years but eventually escapes by bribing a corrupt official. ;Episode 2:

/Escape From Argentina :Lucy Wright, a crack-addicted nursing student, faces 25 years in prison when she's caught trying to smuggle cocaine into the U.K. from Argentina. ;Episode 3:

/Dangerous Liaison :British nurse Stephen Comiskey, who takes a job in Saudi Arabia to support his family, draws the unwelcome attention of the Saudi religious police after a series of illicit gay affairs. ;Episode 4:

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

/Guadeloupe/Caribbean Nightmare :David and Jayne Bladen's dream of a new life overseas turns into a nightmare journey of drug smuggling and violence culminating in 20 months behind bars. ;Episode 5:

/The Juggler Smuggler :Traveling magician Mark Greening juggles a young family with a budding hash-smuggling business after moving to Japan, but he soon gets caught. ;Episode 6:

/From Hollywood To Hell :When young actor Erik Audé discovers that he was tricked into smuggling

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

out of Pakistan, he must fight to stay alive and clear his name. ;Episode 7:

/Black Palace of Horrors :After a horrific stay in Mexico's notorious Black Palace prison, would-be drug smuggler Dwight Worker vows to escape or die trying. ;Episode 8:

/Colombian Kidnap :When Reini Weigel, Erez Eltawil and six other backpackers are snatched by guerrillas in Colombia, they adopt different survival strategies, including cooperation versus outright resistance. ;Episode 9:

/Hasidic King of Coke :Orthodox Jew Samuel Leibowitz dreams of making millions as a drug kingpin in Brazil, leading to a terrifying term in the deadly Carandiru Penitentiary. ;Episode 10:

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

/I Am Not A Terrorist :Duane Wollum is about to make some easy money smuggling cocaine, until an airport security check reveals that he is concealing a package. ;Episode 11:

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

/My Dad The Smuggler :Scott Campbell can not wait to take a trip to China with his estranged father. Little does he know that his father has something else planned. ;Episode 12:

/Son of Saddam :The incredible story of how Iraqi soldier Latif Yahia is forced to become a body double for

Uday Hussein Uday Saddam Hussein (; 18 June 1964 – 22 July 2003) was an Iraqi politician and businessman. He was the eldest son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his first wife Sajida Talfah. Owing to his family connections, Uday held various roles i ...

's highly volatile eldest son. ;Episode 13:

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

/Chilean Prison Break :The gripping story of Tom Hanway, who flees a Chilean prison with a fellow prisoner, taking a dangerous and fatal escape route across the desert. ;Episode 14:

/The Orchid Hunters :The shocking story of Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder, two British backpackers who are ambushed and held for ransom by a guerilla group while crossing the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap. ;Episode 15:

/Venezuela Hustle :Desperate to keep his family afloat, Paul Keany agrees to smuggle six kilos of cocaine from Venezuela back to Dublin, but it turns out to be the worst decision of his life. ;Episode 16:

/Highway to Hell :Adventure-seeker Thomas Hamill takes a job driving trucks in Iraq, leading to a terrifying time in captivity after being kidnapped by insurgents. ;Episode 17:

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

/Not Without My Baby :When Susan Haglof and her husband are duped by a disreputable adoption service in Egypt into acquiring a fake birth certificate for their new baby, she faces the possibility of being imprisoned and losing her precious child forever. ;Episode 18:

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

/Nightmare in Somalia :The terrifying story of photojournalist

Nigel Brennan Nigel Brennan (born 18 May 1972) is an Australian photojournalist and author. In 2008, Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia kidnapped him and Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout. He was released 15 months later after a ransom payme ...

and reporter

Amanda Lindhout Amanda Lindhout (born June 12, 1981) is a Canadian humanitarian, public speaker and journalist. On August 23, 2008, she and members of her entourage were kidnapped by Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia. She was released 15 months later ...

, who are held hostage for 15 months by a criminal gang in Somalia. ;Episode 19:

/Busted in Bangkok :Thrown into a notorious Bangkok prison for attempting to smuggle heroin, Angela Carnegie has an epiphany while nursing a fellow inmate with a drug addiction. ;Episode 20:

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

/Escape from the Gulag :Caught trying to smuggle heroin, Jerry Amster finds himself facing a lengthy term in one of the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

’s toughest slave labor camps.

Series 9 (2014)

;Episode 1:

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...

/POWs McCain & Brace : Ernie Brace is a civilian American pilot during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

held as a prisoner of war for about eight years in North Vietnam, including at the infamous " Hanoi Hilton." He communicated with fellow POW

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

by tapping through the wall and the two never spoke face-to-face until after the war ended. The episode features interviews with both Brace and McCain. This episode was blocked in Vietnam due to what the Vietnamese government called "inaccurate information" about the

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

. ;Episode 2:

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

/Snakes on a Plane :Tom Crutchfield is a reptile smuggler under investigation during Operation Chameleon. He gets close to being caught in the United States, so he flees to Belize, where he ends up in prison until being deported back to the United States. ;Episode 3:

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

/Raving Arizona : Shaun Attwood moves from England to Arizona to become a stockbroker. However, he gets caught up in drugs, and eventually starts dealing ecstasy. After some intimidation from a

mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...

boss, he goes back to being a stockbroker, but he gets a visit from the DEA and ends up serving more than six years in

Joe Arpaio Joseph Michael Arpaio (; born June 14, 1932) is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He was the Sheriffs in the United States, Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, ...

’s prison. ;Episode 4:

/Buried Alive : Roy Hallums is an American contractor who was kidnapped in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. ;Episode 5:

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

/The Real Argo :This episode is the true account of the "

Canadian Caper The "Canadian Caper" was the joint covert Extraction (military), rescue by the Government of Canada and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of six American diplomats who had evaded capture during the Iran hostage crisis, seizure of the U ...

" during the

Iran hostage crisis The Iran hostage crisis () began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. Th ...

, the story that inspired the movie ''

''. American diplomats are rescued in Iran by the Canadian Embassy and the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

after the 1979

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

. ;Episode 6:

/Mexican Prison Escape :Five Americans attempt to smuggle more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana to the United States. After they are caught and placed in a Mexican prison, they plot a daring escape, excavating a 20-meter tunnel under the prison walls. ;Episode 7:

/Hippie Mafia :Eddie Padilla lives in Hawaii and supports himself with drug smuggling. However, during one of those trips, he gets caught in Peru and lands in a Peruvian prison called the House of the Devil. ;Episode 8:

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

/Vegas Mobster : Frank Cullotta is a mobster in Las Vegas who becomes well known for robberies. He is caught by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

thanks to an informant, becomes a witness against the mob and enters

witness protection Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after trials, usually by police. While witnesses may only require p ...

. ;Episode 9: Washington/Fast, Furious and Busted :This episode takes place in the United States and tells the story of Rick Cedar from Spokane, Washington. Needing cash, he runs an online scam, but that con catches up with him. He moves further into crime to get what he needs. ;Episode 10:

/Hunting Mr. Nice :

Howard Marks Dennis Howard Marks (13 August 1945 – 10 April 2016) was a Welsh drug smuggler and author who achieved notoriety as an international Cannabis (drug), cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases. At his peak he claimed to have been sm ...

is a school teacher who enters into criminality when he helps a friend with a drug deal. Eventually, the easy money turns him into a multi-national drug smuggler. One of his loads is seized by authorities and he is now wanted and on the run. However, the DEA manages to catch up with him.

Series 10 (2015)

Episode 1:

/Plane Crash Marijuana :In 1972, 19-year-old American Jim Paprocki, a college graduate, is convinced by his brother-in-law to join him on a drug run to Southern Mexico. All goes to plan until the cargo catches fire and they are forced to crash-land. Jim soon finds himself in Mazatlan State Prison, 'one of the oldest, meanest, dirtiest jails in Mexico'. Episode 2:

/Thai Prison Hell :In 1993, 25-year-old Australian Martin Garnett is already earning good money at a luxury car dealership in Sydney, but he's hungry for more. He is caught smuggling 4.7 kilos of heroin into Bangkok and is set to become Australia's longest serving prisoner overseas. Episode 3:

/Bogota Belly Bust :The story of 28-year-old Ontarian Tabitha Ritchie, whose life took a terrifying turn when she was caught smuggling drugs out of Colombia. Episode 4:

/Somali Pirate Hostage Hell :The shocking story of South African couple Debbie Calitz and Bruno Pelizzari, who were kidnapped by Somali pirates and held captive for 20 terrifying months. Episode 5:

/Jungle Terror :The traumatic story of Kevin Lunsmann, an American schoolboy and his mother, Gerfa, who were kidnapped by

, a jihadist group, in the Philippines and held for ransom in the jungle. Episode 6:

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

/Gaddafi's American Prisoner :Captured by

Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by Libyan rebel forces in 2011. He came to power ...

's men while fighting with rebels in Libya, Baltimore-born Matthew VanDyke spent nearly six months in solitary confinement.

Series 11 (2018)

Episode 1:

/Breaking Bad in Britain :The story of convicted drug dealer Pieter Tritton, whose organization used camping tents to smuggle rubberized cocaine from

to Europe. Episode 2:

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

/Escape from Al Qaeda :Rookie photographer Matt Schrier travels to Syria, where he is captured by

Al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra or Jabhat Nusrat Ahl al-Sham, also known as Front for the Conquest of the Levant, and also later known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham was a Salafi-jihadist organization that fought against Ba'athist Syria, Ba'athist ...

, the Syrian

Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...

. Matt was held hostage for seven months with journalist Theo Curtis before escaping. Episode 3:

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

/Narco at Nineteen :Simone Blignaut travels to Bolivia in 2013, where she is double-crossed and forced to smuggle liquid cocaine. Episode 4:

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

/Double Crossed in the Desert :When Journalist Phil Cox returns to Sudan in 2016 to investigate allegations of illegally deployed chemical weapons, he is kidnapped by a government-backed militia. Episode 5:

/Mexican Border Bust :Southern California resident Steven Peterson is arrested and imprisoned in Tijuana after attempting to smuggle 120 kilos of marijuana from Mexico to the United States. Episode 6:

/Bad Bromance :U.S. Naval Officer Lemar Burton is caught attempting to smuggle five kilos of cocaine from Colombia to Italy.

Series 12 (2019)

Episode 1:

/Thai Meth Bust :The story of a British postman who uses his retirement pension to open a bar in Thailand, but quickly starts dealing meth. The police get wise and in a dramatic takedown bust him and send him to prison. Episode 2:

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

/Greek Border Bust :An attempt to smuggle hash from Afghanistan to Germany ends up with imprisonment in Greece and imprisoned on an island. Episode 3:

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

/Caribbean Coke King : The story of Michael Singh who tries cocaine smuggling to make money. But after 7 successful runs is caught and left to rot in a Dominican prison. Episode 4:

/Mexican Cartel Hell :Carlos Quijas is falsely imprisoned and tortured for drug smuggling. Episode 5:

/Narco Wine Bust :Champion skier Nick Brewer gets involved in a multi-million dollar cocaine empire in Argentina. Episode 6:

/Bangkok Betrayal :Dancer LaTasha Manson's opportunity of a lifetime turns to nightmare when she finds herself locked up and pregnant in a Thai jail. Episode 7:

/Jungle Crash :The story of Keith Stansell on a mission to find drug labs in the Colombian jungle who crashes his airplane and taken hostage. Episode 8:

/Panamania :A Calgarian, Christina Jocko is locked up in a Central American jail after being found with 3.6 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated $400,000 in her suitcases. Episode 9:

/Indian Hash Bust :Australian hippie Mark O'Brien joins an ashram in India and ends up smuggling hash. Episode 10:

/Peruvian Parent Trap :Jail, attempted murder and a terrible family betrayal lay ahead of two ambitious cousins from Texas when they agree to run a car wash in Lima.

Series 13 (2020)

Episode 1:

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

/Undercover Biker After his arrest, drug dealer Charles Falco strikes a deal and becomes an undercover

confidential informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a "snitch", "rat", "canary", "stool pigeon", "stoolie", "tout" or "grass", among other terms) is a person who provides privileged information, or (usually damaging) information inten ...

. For the first time, Charles tells his story of how he infiltrated the Vagos, one of the most violent biker gangs in the US. Episode 2:

/Korean Ecstasy King In South Korea, English teacher Jesse Moskel becomes the kingpin of a huge MDMA smuggling operation – and one of Southeast Asia's most wanted men. Episode 3:

/Pop Star Smuggler Jimmy Bauer is on the cusp of breaking into the music industry and only one thing stands in his way. Money. He faces moral temptation and life-changing decisions, all as he works out what's more important to him. The fame? Or the music? Episode 4:

/Undercover Arms Dealer When legitimate arms dealer Peter Bleach is asked to supply weapons for a suspected Indian terrorist cell, he agrees to go undercover for British Intelligence to capture the ringleader. Episode 5:

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

/Model Drug Runner Garrain Jones moves to L.A and launches a modeling career. Soon he has it all – the money, the lifestyle, the status but he loses everything when he is drawn into a shadowy drug-smuggling operation from which he cannot escape. Episode 6:

/Drug Runner Mom Single mom Melanie Di Egidio is set up by her Colombian contact during her drug run to Ecuador. Caught by the police, she turns informer but is imprisoned anyway. In prison, she falls in love, marries a fellow inmate and gets pregnant. Episode 7:

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

/ Washington/King of Weed Canadian hockey pro Ryan Phillips is destined to become a star but as he climbs the ranks, he starts running a more profitable business alongside his hockey career – smuggling hundreds of pounds of marijuana from British Columbia into the US. Episode 8:

/Colombian Double Cross Single mom Heather Ebling's dream vacation to Colombia doesn't live up to expectations. Then disappointment turns to terror when on her way home she's arrested for drug trafficking. Episode 9:

/Peruvian Prison Break Tina Myers is an exotic dancer and part time drug dealer. After she decides to make money on a Peruvian drug run, she embarks on a dangerous ride to the dark side of Peru's underworld, culminating in an insane prison escape. Episode 10:

/Miami Mobster Take Down When Miami mobster Tony Galeota opens a club in Panama City, the competition frames him for drug dealing and human trafficking. Locked up in one of the world's worst prisons, Tony has to prove his innocence and attempt an audacious escape.

Series 14 (2021)

Episode 1:

/Declassified: Mexican Cartel Takedown An ambitious DEA agent goes after a notorious Mexican cartel

leader Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

but gets sucked into a dark and treacherous world where the lines between good and evil are blurred. He'll stop at nothing to get his man, but when tragedy strikes, vengeance takes hold, and he makes a fatal mistake that tears his world apart. Episode 2:

/Meth's Top Model When swimwear model Simone Starr hits the big time, she moves to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

to cash in. But life in the fast lane soon takes its toll on her finances and she decides the only way to keep the dream alive is to use her beauty brand as a ruse to ship drugs. By day she's pulling poses on the beach, and by night she's packing meth into gift sets, until one journey brings her whole world crashing down. Episode 3:

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

/Mafia Terminator In this real life Goodfellas tale, New York teen John Alite (portrayed by Dean Goldblum) gets a job at his local deli, a hangout for 'wise guys'. He soon finds himself wanting to be a mobster, and starts running errands for them. Rising swiftly through the ranks, John buries his conscience to become a notorious Mafia hitman for

John Gotti John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 ( , ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American '' mafioso'' and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambin ...

. But when the house of cards tumbles, John must choose between his family and his oath to the Mob. Episode 4:

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

/Declassified: Undercover Crack Dealer In this real-life version of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

drama The Wire, local drug dealer Davon Mayer has a knack for making money. But when he gets arrested by two cops, to his surprise, they don't want him in jail, they want him to sell drugs for their profit. Davon soon finds himself enslaved by the corrupt cops' greed. The only way out is to risk his life and go undercover for the

to take them down. Episode 5:

/Thai Ice Storm A broke young Londoner gets an exciting offer to work in his dad's bar in Thailand. But when he arrives, he soon discovers a world of temptation that he can not resist, breaking his father's golden rule and driving them apart. But when life goes from bad to worse for the youngster and he lands himself in the world's most notorious prison their relationship is tested to its limits. Episode 6:

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

/Declassified: A Rat's Tale When a lifelong gun runner and drug dealer infiltrates the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in California whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells ...

biker gang for a million-dollar payout, he gets swept up in a horrific murder hit. Faced with a lifetime behind bars for his involvement, he has no choice but to go undercover for the

RCMP The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

, wearing a wire to collect confessions from his fellow conspirators. After 19 years in

Witness Protection Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after trials, usually by police. While witnesses may only require p ...

, with a bounty still on his head, career criminal Paul Derry tells his story for the first time on camera. Episode 7:

/The Mother's Load A young mom addicted to crack takes her child on a risky smuggling job. Episode 8:

/Declassified: Mole in the Mob A Japanese-American Orange County kid gets his dream to become a gangster before a Las Vegas mob hit changes everything and he agrees to work for the

. Now Gangster turned informant he works his way up the world of organised crime infiltrating the heights of mafia royalty in New York, before a planned hit threatens to destroy his entire world. Episode 9:

/50 Ton Pot Run A 70s hippie and his naive pal are small time dealers selling hash to Boston college kids, until they get approached by a Colombian cartel keen to use their skills. Seduced by the danger and the dollars, they soon become multimillionaire importers, shipping tens of tons of marijuana on freighters up the West Coast, until one of the biggest busts in US history forces them on the run to Bolivia. Episode 10:

/A Bellyful of Coke A troubled young father goes on the run to Spain to avoid a small prison sentence. He starts working for a crime gang in the

Costa Del Sol The Costa del Sol (; literally "Coast of the Sun") is a region in the south of Spain in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of ...

and is enamored by the gangster lifestyle. He feels untouchable and agrees to smuggle and swallow a kilo of cocaine back from Peru, only to face the biggest adrenalin kick of his life and seal his fate forever. Episode 11: “Captive in South America” Two groups of backpackers are kidnapped for ransom in South America.

Series 15 (2022)

Episode 1:

/Love Behind Bars After smuggling drugs for 18 months, Anelda Mare decides to quit, only to be told her parents will be killed unless she makes one last run. Episode 2:

/Declassified: Double Cross Dope Deal Lured into drug running by his best friend, Chris is betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust. Episode 3:

/Narco Neverland A young Chicago gangster escapes from a life of poverty when he starts smuggling drugs for a Mexican cartel, but then it all goes wrong. Episode 4:

/Trauma Express Travel-loving Bronwyn Atherton finds herself on the road to destruction when she's lured into the shady world of international drug-smuggling. Episode 5:

/Declassified: A King's Ransom Rafael Arguelles was a gangster by the age of 17, but faced the consequences after going undercover for the FBI against his former friends. Episode 6:

/Big Trouble in Tokyo Steven Beattie's Thai party lifestyle isn't cheap, so he smuggles hash to fund it, for which he pays the ultimate price when he's locked up in Japan. Episode 7:

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

/Sole Smuggler David Harte was in his forties when life collapsed around him. He was tempted into the shady world of drug smuggling, then got caught in Mauritius. Episode 8:

/Fighting Yaba Liverpudlian Billy Moore moves to Thailand to start a new, happier life, but instead he gets addicted to the drug Yaba and loses control. Episode 9:

/Casualty of War Veteran soldier Brett heads to India to overcome his PTSD, but instead is tempted into smuggling weed out of the Himalayas and into Europe. Episode 10:

/Dame of Cocaine Struggling addict Andrea starts importing cocaine into Australia. After getting caught, she is forced to overcome her demons in a tough jail.

International airings

References

External links

* * (2006 series) * (2007 series) {{Authority control Channel 5 (British TV channel) documentary series National Geographic (American TV channel) original programming 2000s British documentary television series 2010s British documentary television series 2020s British documentary television series 2006 British television series debuts Television series about illegal drug trade Works about smuggling Kidnapping Memoirs of imprisonment Works about Mexican drug cartels

Episode format

Episodes

Series 1 (2006)

Series 2 (2007)

Series 3 (2008)

Series 4 – Kidnapped (2009)

Series 5 (2010)

Series 6 (2011)

Series 7 (2012)

Series 8 (2013)

Series 9 (2014)

Series 10 (2015)

Series 11 (2018)

Series 12 (2019)

Series 13 (2020)

Series 14 (2021)

Series 15 (2022)

International airings

See also

References

External links