23 April 2024 – “When we saw the police Wanted posters for Scorpion we were instantly intrigued. He’s successfully evaded police across Europe and we thought if we were coming from under the radar then we could use our contacts to find him and to seek answers for the many people he’s harmed in dangerous sea and lorry crossings.” — Sue Mitchell, BBC investigative journalist and presenter

‘Scorpion’ is wanted by police across Europe. Very little is known about him, but he runs an organised crime gang responsible for smuggling thousands of migrants across the English Channel and into the UK. To Catch a Scorpion, the latest investigative series for BBC Radio 4’s Intrigue strand, sees BBC investigative journalist Sue Mitchell (Million Dollar Lover, Girl Taken) and former British solider Rob Lawrie try to succeed where the authorities can’t – using every lead and contact to penetrate Scorpion’s human trafficking network with the aim of finding him and confronting him.

The elusive Scorpion’s real name is Barzan Kamal Majeed. His codename comes from the WhatsApp avatar that border officials found on the mobile phones of many migrants arriving into the UK on lorries and small boats. He’s thought to have made a fortune controlling one of the largest gangs operating illegal crossings between France, Belgium and the UK. Scorpion lived for a time in the UK selling drugs and guns, he was jailed and deported, only to return to Europe as a people smuggler, moving across borders with ease as his empire grew.

Police almost caught him through a covert surveillance operation to break into the UK and Belgian arms of his criminal trade, but Scorpion was tipped off before he could be arrested. He’s been tried and convicted in his absence in a European court, sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined a million Euros, but remains at large.

Sue and Rob, who worked together on the ARIA-winning series The Smugglers Trail for BBC Radio 4, have spent time in refugee camps, meeting families preparing to cross the Channel in small boats at night and making contacts within the ranks of Scorpion’s network. Across eight gripping episodes, To Catch a Scorpion is an insightful exploration into the workings of small boat crossings, showing how gangs continually evolve to exploit gaps in policy and policing and revealing the truth through confronting dangerous, ruthless gang members.

BBC investigative journalist and presenter Sue Mitchell says “When we saw the police Wanted posters for Scorpion we were instantly intrigued. He’s successfully evaded police across Europe and we thought if we were coming from under the radar then we could use our contacts to find him and to seek answers for the many people he’s harmed in dangerous sea and lorry crossings.”

Commissioning Editor Daniel Clarke says “This is an astonishing new series from Sue and Rob, who make a brilliant investigative team. At a time when the issue of illegal cross-channel migration reverberates so prominently through our politics, this series provides an extraordinary window into how people smuggling works. I’ve never heard anything that gives listeners such a deeply reported and brilliantly told sense of this dangerous and disturbing world. “

To Catch a Scorpion is available on BBC Sounds from Friday 3 May. Episodes will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesdays at 9.30am from 15 May.

About Intrigue

First launched in 2017, each series of Intrigue tells a true story in a gripping narrative style, pulling back the curtain to reveal how the world really works. Previous series include the smash hit Tunnel 29, The Ratline, Burning Sun and The Immortals as well as Sue Mitchell’s hugely popular Million Dollar Lover.

The ‘Intrigue’ feed has recently re-launched on BBC Sounds. Don’t miss an episode – just search for Intrigue and subscribe.