Whale Hunting6 Nov 2024

How did the FSB infiltrate one of Sweden’s biggest banks?

Honeypot operations are one of the oldest tricks in the espionage playbook — get access to sensitive information through a wily femme fatale. Scandinavian banking giant Swedbank was recently the target of such a plot. By leveraging kompromat about top executives — some of whom had a proclivity for unfaithful sexual relationships and drug abuse — Russian intelligence were able to ensure that oligarchs could launder money through Swedbank. Executives would sign off on suspicious, multi-billion-dollar transactions heading toward the Western financial system. This money would then fund Russia’s more furtive influence operations. This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley is joined by Axel Gordh Humlesjö, an investigative journalist at the Swedish national broadcaster SVT. They discuss how Axel learned that FSB agents were stationed outside his Stockholm apartment, what happened at Swedbank, and his meeting with the FSB-affiliated femme fatale who was the beating heart of the operation. Mentioned in this week’s episode: Axel Gordh Humlesjö and Lars Berge’s book about the story, The Honey Trap: Swedbank, Russia and the World’s Biggest Money Laundering Scheme Catherine Belton, author of Putin’s People Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

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Episoder(54)

The Man Stealing Billions of Dollars from the US Economy, Mauerberger's Spiderweb

This episode of Whale Hunting explores the intricate web of illicit activities surrounding Benjamin Mauerberger, a South African involved in high-stakes financial crimes across Asia. Hosted by Journal...

24 Apr 53min

From A Curious Worldview: How did MBS rise to power?

Thanks for listening to season three of Whale Hunting. We've heard from the biographer of the world’s most secretive billionaire, the man running a TV network under the Taliban, the undercover agent w...

18 Des 20241h 21min

How did federal agents infiltrate the world’s dirtiest bank?

A rare opportunity arises when global financial institutions implode: a brief window into how the world really works. There’s an opportunity to learn how money is laundered and where it’s coming from,...

11 Des 202440min

Why does Elon Musk need private spies?

For the right price, a billionaire can buy almost anything in the private intelligence industry. Investigators will covertly dig through bins, pose as friendly faces to deceptively extract information...

4 Des 202440min

What does Iran achieve by outsourcing assassination attempts in the West?

Iran’s war with Israel and the U.S. has been waged through numerous proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen — but more recently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, have been “out...

27 Nov 202425min

Do Hezbollah's booby-trapped pagers herald a new era of warfare?

Conventional warfare no longer exists. Drones, offensive hacking techniques and even sonic weaponry is upending how conflict is waged — and the recent Israeli intelligence operation to plant explosive...

20 Nov 202432min

Why was the FBI fascinated by the artist Mark Lombardi?

Mark Lombardi was on the cusp of international success with his provocative artwork. So why was the 48-year-old found dead, and his death ruled a suicide? And why did the FBI ask to examine one of his...

13 Nov 202415min