Episode 1270: Two men linked to ‘Irish Mafia’ arrested in armed raid in Colombia

IT'S a Mecca for true crime super fans, where detectives, lawyers and even podcasters become celebrities for a weekend and the public mix and mingle with faces and voices they know so well.Created in America, where the genre has become a major multi-million dollar industry, Crime Con is relatively new to this side of the Atlantic but has already built up a cult following.This week we attended the show to talk to those showcased in a growing media arena where murder meets entertainment.We talk to podcasters, genealogists, detectives and the true crime enthusiasts, who say that victims remain centre stage throughout the event focused on catching killers and untangling mysteries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Juni 202230min

He is one of the most notorious killers in the history of the North's Troubles, and when he staged a single-handed attack on a Provisional IRA funeral at Milltown Cemetery in 1988 his face became infamous across the world.Today, Michael Stone is wheelchair bound and poses for selfies with young loyalists who see him as a cult hero for one side of a bitter divide.But was Stone a true loyalist paramilitary or was he simply a violent psychopath with a bloodlust and a desire to cement his name in history?Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Hugh Jordan, who met Stone at the recent Orange Order centenary event at Stormont, and with his friend, Jim Murtagh, who grew up with the convicted killer and who remembers a strange young man who was cruel to animals and who was an outsider in his home and community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Juni 202232min

The trial for two men charged with the murder of celebrity Dutch journalist Peter R. De Vries has heard of the text messages sent between the hit team and an un-named overlord who ordered the shooting in broad daylight on an Amsterdam Street.In court, journalist Jan Meeus, a colleague of mine from the Netherlands and someone who knew Peter personally, watched the harrowing scenes and today he considers the bigger picture of such a senseless and brazen murder.He tells me about the criminal at the very top of the ruthless Mocro Maffia, Ridouan Taghi, the business partner of Daniel Kinahan who police suspect is behind De Vries murder and those of a lawyer and brother of a prosecution witness.He describes the fear that surrounds Taghi’s organisation and how he has challenged the very foundations of the Netherlands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Juni 202258min

Retired detective Paul Holes knows just what it is like to immerse himself in a murder mystery. It was his work on the infamous 'Golden State Killer' case which led to the 2018 arrest and conviction of Joseph James DeAngelo Jnr, the man responsible for at least 10 murders and 50 sexual assaults.The case first came to Holes' attention in 1994 when he dusted down the files of the so-called 'East Area Rapist', which he later linked to Southern California’s unidentified 'Original Night Stalker'. But it wasn’t until his retirement - through dogged DNA and genetics work - that the wily old cop solved the mystery and became a household name in the process.Today, we talk to Holes about his career and the extraordinary case of America's most-infamous serial killer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Juni 202235min

They are the killers and rapists deemed so dangerous that they are serving life sentences behind bars.But what does life mean in Ireland, and while the sentence is mandatory in murder cases, how does a sex offender reach the maximum term lock-up?Nicola Tallant talks to journalist Eamon Dillon about the 350 prisoners doing life behind bars - about the gangland triggermen on the promise of blood money who found themselves counting the cost of their chosen career, about the evil rapists whose crimes abhorred society and about the parole board and what it will mean for those looking for early release. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Juni 202255min

It is a story that reads like the plot from a Hollywood movie and punches right into the heart of one of the most secretive regimes in the world.Hackers from the so-called ‘Lazarus Group’ first shut down Sony Studios when it attempted to screen a movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and then went on to attempt a daring theft of $1billion dollars from a Bangladesh Bank.But who are the Lazarus Group and how did they emerge from a secretive nation where only the chosen few are allowed online?Nicola Tallant talks to author and journalist Geoff White about the incredible tale played out in his top podcast 'The Lazarus Heist' and in his new book of the same name. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Juni 20221h

She is the former Irish soldier who, a court heard, enveloped herself in the black flag of IS.Now, Lisa Smith awaits her fate in the Special Criminal Court, which heard the details of her journey into the dark heart of Islamic terrorism.During her trial, she was portrayed as a vulnerable, love-lorn woman who believed she was following her religion and beliefs when she travelled to Syria - but instead found herself in a harsh regime and surrounded with violence which she never expected nor condoned.But the State said different, and FBI officers said it was beyond suspicion that she had joined the group.Today Nicola Tallant talks with courts correspondent Eoin Reynolds about the sensational trial which ended with a guilty verdict and a sobbing mother now counting the cost of the choices she made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Juni 202248min

When drug dealer James Whelan was gunned down in Finglas, north Dublin, two months ago gardai braced themselves for an explosion of violence and tit-for-tat attacks.In recent weeks, the home of Whelan’s mother, Sonya, has been firebombed amidst 70 violent incidents linked to the feuding gangs, many of which are flagged on social media postings.But is this Finglas feud the future of gangland wars or is it part of the fallout of the collapse of the Kinahan empire where the so-called ‘Flashy’ gang once held a prominent position of power?Nicola Tallant talks to Sunday World deputy Editor Niall Donald about the dirty warfare on the streets of a Dublin suburb and the consequences of it for policing drug mobs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Maj 202224min