Smoke Screen

Some people do extraordinary things to get rich but few come close to Big Spender. A criminal mastermind, he grew up poor in Hong Kong and hungry for more. So, naturally, he decided to pull off the biggest crimes of their kind the world has ever seen.This is Bad Money — a new narrative series from Kindling Media and V...

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Smoke Screen

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Episode 9: TBIJ talk to BizNews

Nov 17th, 2021

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and its reporting partners received hundreds of thousands of documents about British American Tobacco and its hired spies – and what they got up to in South Africa and beyond. It's a tale of spies, lies, tobacco and bribes, but how do you go from thousands of leaked documents to a...

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Smoke Screen

Idle

Episode 8: Consequences

Nov 1st, 2021

We conclude our investigation by speaking to the people who have been affected by the story.Hearing the opinions of experts in the field, we understand why this story was so important to share.BAT denies any wrongdoing and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office concluded there was insufficient evidence for any prosecutions....

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Smoke Screen

Idle

Episode 7: The Needle in the Haystack

Oct 24th, 2021

The investigation continues to explore the FSS and finds evidence that the bribes may have extended beyond South Africa’s borders.As things began to spiral out of control the government became involved and key players took the blame.A Novel Production for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Auddy.See acast...

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Smoke Screen

Idle

Episode 6: Boots on the Ground

Oct 17th, 2021

We come back to the investigation to understand why there is such much to uncover.The link to the local private security firm seems to hold the key.Their surveillance techniques led to more allegations and people being held accountable.A Novel Production for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Auddy.See ...

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Smoke Screen

Idle

Episode 5: The Englishman, The Scotsman and the Welshman

Oct 10th, 2021

The search for Belinda begins.BAT said their actions were simply to combat the illicit trade in tobacco products.But just how big was this operation?A Novel Production for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Auddy.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Learn more about your ad choices...

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Episode 4: Allegations

Oct 4th, 2021

Whose side were you on?We continue our investigation into the murky world of the tobacco industry in South Africa.As it became harder to know who to trust, people’s careers have paid the price.A Novel Production for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Auddy.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out i...

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Smoke Screen

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Episode 3: Matters of the Heart

Sep 27th, 2021

We met Johann Van Loggerenberg in episode 2, but how did a tax official know so much?Exploring his relationship with Belinda uncovers how sensitive information could have got into the wrong hands.A Novel Production for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Auddy.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out ...

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Episode 2: Agent 5332

Sep 20th, 2021

How and why did Belinda end up blowing the whistle on BAT? Only she really knows the answer.Is she really who she seems? And how was she involved with the state intelligence agency?As the investigation unfolds, we see her vulnerability, hear her story and meet the different parties involved.A Novel Production for...

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Smoke Screen

Idle

Episode 1: Room 205

Sep 13th, 2021

They say a leopard doesn’t change its spots. Our investigation starts in 2013, and we meet an attorney called Belinda Walter who is recruited by BAT in London to spy on the tobacco smugglers within South Africa. How is it that an upstanding citizen can get wrapped up in this world? Can a young journalist uncover one of...

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True Crime Society Culture

Smoke Screen

Idle

Trailer: Smoke Screen

Sep 10th, 2021

Smoke Screen. Love, bribes, lies and spies in the tobacco industry.Victoria Hollingsworth tells the true story of corrupt practices behind the scenes at British American Tobacco. We hear from the very people who were caught up in this world as we sink deep into the dirty underbelly of the tobacco industry in South Afr...