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White Collars, Dirty Hands: A podcast by OCCRP and La No Ficción — True Crime
White Collars, Dirty Hands: A podcast by OCCRP and La No Ficción

It’s Madrid, March 2017. A former official in Venezuela’s oil ministry, a lawyer, and three financial advisors are meeting to discuss business. They want to move corruptly-obtained cash without anyone noticing. But little do they know, one of them is wearing a hidden microphone, and records the whole conversation, laying bare the mechanics of a plot to launder millions of dollars embezzled from Venezuela’s state oil company.

From OCCRP and the Colombian production company La No Ficción, this investigative series dissects this secret recording and the broader corruption scheme that siphoned off $1.2 billion from Venezuela’s state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).

Across five episodes, it follows exiled Venezuelan journalist Laura Weffer as she tries to track down Carmelo Urdaneta, the former oil ministry official who plays a key role in the billion-dollar money laundering conspiracy.

The series also traces the human cost of this corruption, including Laura’s own journey into exile and the voices of other Venezuelans who were battling a severe economic crisis at the same time that their oil money was being “cleaned” by professionals abroad.

To learn more about organized crime and corruption, sign up for our newsletter at occrp.org/newsletter

—

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. But in light of recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this English version, a human-reviewed AI translation. This is our first time using this technology, so minor variations and AI-imperfections may occur. The podcast is available in the original Spanish, at the below links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We would love your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Little Gem

Latest Episodes:

Episode 1: Hola, Carmelo Jan 28, 2026

Exiled Venezuelan journalist Laura Weffer travels to Florida to look for Carmelo Urdaneta, a former oil ministry official at the center of the $1.2 billion “Money Flight” scandal.

To learn more about organized crime and corruption, sign up for weekly updates about Venezuela and the rest of the world at occrp.org/newsletter

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trailer: White Collars, Dirty Hands Jan 27, 2026

Madrid, March 2017. A Swiss banker, an oil executive from PDVSA—Venezuela's state oil company—and three financial advisors meet to discuss business. They seek to move millions in corrupt funds without anyone noticing. But one of them is wearing a hidden microphone and records this conversation, in which a money laundering operation is structured, part of a scheme that diverted at least $600 million in Venezuelan public funds.

From OCCRP and the Colombian production company La No Ficción, this investigative series follows exiled Venezuelan journalist Laura Weffer as she tracks down Carmelo Urdaneta, a former high-level official in Venezuela's oil ministry who sits at the heart of a billion-dollar money laundering conspiracy.

Over five episodes, the podcast unspools how millions of dollars were embezzled from the state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), between 2014 and 2018 by a circle of insiders who spent the cash on real estate, yachts, and other luxury assets.

Behind these financial tricks lies immense personal suffering; The series also traces the human cost of this corruption, including Laura’s own journey into exile and the voices of other Venezuelans who were battling a severe economic crisis at the same time that their oil money was being “cleaned” by professionals abroad.

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Did Venezuela’s Oil Riches End up in Swiss Banks? Dec 05, 2023

Repressed by Venezuela's government on one side. Muzzled by Swiss banking secrecy laws on the other. Yet against these odds, a team of reporters exposed how corrupt Venezuelan elites stashed stolen oil profits in Credit Suisse accounts.

In this episode, Nick Wallis interviews OCCRP editor Nathan Jaccard and Armando.Info editor-in-chief Valentina Lares on how a leak of Credit Suisse customer data sparked a global investigation revealing how oil officials convicted of corruption stashed their millions in Switzerland’s notoriously secretive banking sector.

We also hear from Latin American financial fraud expert Steven Bodzin about the story’s implications for Venezuela and Swiss banks, how Venezuela’s ongoing crisis could end, and who is to blame for the country’s endemic corruption.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa, at Rethink Audio.

Read the investigation

Black Gold in Swiss Vaults: Venezuelan Elites Hid Stolen Oil Money in Credit Suisse

This week’s guests

Nathan Jaccard - @NJaccard
Valentina Lares - @valetinalares
Steven Bodzin - @guacamayan

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website

More information on OCCRP

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption with our weekly newsletter
Donate

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sanctioning an Oligarch is Not an Easy Task: Searching for Usmanov’s Millions Nov 21, 2023

As Russian forces escalated their war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, Western governments scrambled to sanction oligarchs connected to Putin’s war machine. Yet the task is far from simple when Kremlin-connected tycoons hide their billions in offshore trusts and Swiss bank accounts — and even behind the names of their family members.

In this episode, Nick Wallis talks with OCCRP editing duo Miranda Patrucic and Ilya Lozovsky, discussing how billionaire Alisher Usmanov concealed his fortune via secretive companies, business associates and family members — including Swiss bank accounts in his sister’s name despite her seemingly modest trade as a gynecologist.

We also hear from British Member of Parliament Kevin Hollinrake on how Russia’s invasion sparked a campaign to clamp down on dirty money washed through the U.K., as well as how effective Western sanctions have been in choking off the lifelines to Putin’s military campaign.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigations:

This week’s guests:

Miranda Patrucic
Ilya Lozovsky
Kevin Hollinrake

Transcript:

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website.

More information OCCRP:

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption with our weekly newsletter
Donate

[00:00] Introduction

[02:04] Miranda Patrucic explains why she is interested in investigating oligarchs — and Alisher Usmanov in particular

[03:50] How did the investigation into Usmanov come about?

[06:16] What are the FinCEN Files — and what did they reveal about Usmanov?

[07:55] An explainer of suspicious activity reports and how they’re supposed to stop financial crime

[10:36] How Usmanov’s family is connected to the story

[13:04] Ilya Lozovsky explains how OCCRP told the story via the Russian Asset Tracker

[15:36] Did Western sanctions against Usmanov work against him — and Vladimir Putin’s war effort in Ukraine?

[19:00] Why have there been so many large-scale data leaks in recent years?

[22:07] Kevin Hollinrake on whether tackling money laundering in the U.K. would harm the nation’s economy

[25:45] Updates on how the U.K. is tackling flows of dirty money

[27:33] What needs to be done to clamp down on dirty money in the U.K.?

[33:55] Kevin Hollinrake on whether Western sanctions have been effective against the Russian invasion of Ukraine

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian Meddling in Catalonia: A Playbook In Destabilization Nov 10, 2023

A mysterious Russian offers Catalonia’s president $500 billion and 10,000 armed soldiers to make the break from Spain and create a cryptocurrency haven. This in the days running up to an historic vote to declare independence from Spain.

In this episode, Nick Wallis talks with journalists Antonio Baquero, Marc Marginedas and Lorenzo Bagnoli on how they tracked down the man pro-independence leaders called “Putin’s envoy” across Spain, Italy, and Russia — unveiling his past as a Russian diplomat with a history of representing the Kremlin.

We also hear from Institute for Statecraft senior fellow Nico de Pedro on how Russia used Catalonia’s independence movement in an attempt to destabilize Spain, as well as how ordinary Catalans felt when interference from the Kremlin was revealed.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producers were Lindsay Riley and Ollie Peart, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa, at Rethink Audio.

Read the investigation:

https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/fueling-secession-promising-bitcoins-how-a-russian-operator-urged-catalonian-leaders-to-break-with-madrid

This week’s guests

Antonio Baquero - @antoniobaqueroi
Marc Marginedas - @marcmarginedas
Lorenzo Bagnoli - @Lorenzo_Bagnoli
Nico de Pedro - @nicolasdepedro

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website.

More Information on OCCRP

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption with our weekly newsletter.
Donate.

[00:00] Introduction

[03:40] Antonio Baquera and Marc Marginedas explain how they began investigating Russian interest in Catalonia

[05:26] A profile of Victor Terredellas, key figure in the story

[08:38] How “Putin’s envoy” Nikolai Sadovnikov came to reporters’ attention

[11:52] Why are there ties between Catalonian independence leaders and the Russian government?

[15:36] Lorenzo Bagnoli explains Sadovnikov’s past as a diplomat in Italy

[20:41] A profile of Jordi Sardà Bonvehí, who accompanied Sadovnikov during his meeting with Catalonia’s separatist leader Carles Puigdemont

[23:42] How the reporters managed to interview Sadovnikov

[26:30] The effect of the story on the Catalonian independence movement, Italian mafia and Carlos Puigdemont

[31:23] Nico de Pedro explains why he and others are against Catalonian independence

[34:02] How the Catalonian independence movement is used by the Russian government to destabilize Spain

[36:56] How do ordinary Catalans feel about Russian interference in Catalonian independence?

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exposing a Former Czech PM’s Offshore Finances Oct 24, 2023

Pavla Holcová was greeted with an avalanche of threats when she woke up one morning. Her country’s former prime minister had publicly accused her of being a paid agent to undermine his re-election campaign.

In this episode you’ll hear about the dangers OCCRP’s investigative journalists face when trying to get to the truth, the horrific abuse they face and how the OCCRP helps to protect them and their sources.

Host Nick Wallis talks with Pavla and fellow OCCRP editor Pete Jones about how an investigation exposing ex-Czech PM Andrej Babiš’ undeclared overseas property deals led to a very public attack by the politician and media mogul. Pavla recounts her encounters with Babiš — and what kept her going in the face of horrific abuse from his supporters.

We also hear from Prague-based journalist Will Nattrass on why Babiš is seen as a threat to press freedom, corruption in the Czech Republic, and where the country’s politics could head in the future.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigation:

Anti-Graft Czech Prime Minister Used Offshores to Disguise Funds for French Chateau

This week’s guests:

Pavla Holcová - @pafak
Pete Jones - @PSJones01
Will Nattrass

Transcript:

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here

More information on OCCRP:

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption with our weekly newsletter
Donate

[00:00] Introduction

[02:23] Pavla Holcová and Pete Jones explain how their investigation into Andrej Babiš began

[06:45] Pavla describes a public confrontation with Babiš

[08:03] Pavla describes how Babiš targeted her on social media and what consequences she suffered

[15:18] What kept Pavla going despite abuse from Babiš and his supporters

[18:03] Pete explains what makes OCCRP distinct as a news organization

[23:51] How OCCRP journalists prepare for and respond to threats

[26:08] The consequence of the article for Babiš

[27:11] Will Nattrass on Babiš, corruption and the direction of Czech politics

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bleeding Trees: Tracking Illegal Loggers in Namibia Oct 10, 2023

John Grobler’s Namibian holiday led him on an unexpected journey tailing trucks and loggers to expose the interests behind illegal logging, a lucrative and illegal business making millions for Chinese companies and local elites.

In this episode Nick Wallis traces OCCRP’s investigation into who is killing the last of Namibia’s protected rosewood trees. We also hear from OCCRP journalist Khadija Sharife on how the tragic destruction of these prized forests fits into the wider looting of Africa’s natural resources.

Finally, sustainability expert Dr. Clemens von Doderer analyzes the causes of Namibia’s illegal logging and what needs to be done to put an end to deforestation.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigations:

This week’s guests

John Grobler - @JohnGrblr
Khadija Sharife - @khadijasharife
Dr. Clemens von Doderer

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here

More information on OCCRP

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption at OCCRP and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.
Support investigative journalism in the public interest. Donate to OCCRP.

[00:00] Introduction

[02:33] Khadija explains why she commissioned an investigation into Namibian rosewood

[05:18] John gives a crash course on Namibia

[06:20] Why Chinese demand for rosewood trees is increasing

[08:03] Why and how John began investigating rosewood logging

[13:38] An explainer on CITES and why it’s important for threatened species

[16:13] How Namibia’s political and legal system fuels illegal logging

[18:55] What it’s like to take on a government as a lone journalist

[20:25] Can the redwoods be saved?

[24:33] Dr Clemens von Doderer explains the causes of illegal logging in Namibia

[27:26] How can illegal logging be stopped?

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beirut Blast Sep 26, 2023

How do you begin to investigate the explosion that tore through the Lebanese capital city of Beirut, killing more than 200 people?

In this episode Nick Wallis takes us back to August 2020, talking to Rana Sabbagh and Aubrey Belford about how OCCRP reporters activated the global network to unravel the opaque web of secrecy behind the cause of the explosion, scouring the globe from Russia to Mozambique to track down the true owner of the deadly cargo that triggered the devastating blast in Lebanon’s capital.

We also hear from Paul Najjar, wholived and worked less than a kilometer from the blast site at Beirut port. Paul and Tracy’s three-year-old daughter died as a result of injuries sustained in the explosion.

Dirty Deeds a Little Gem production for the OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigations:

This week’s guests:

Rana Sabbagh - @rana_sabbagh
Aubrey Belford - @AubreyBelford
Paul Naggear

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here.

More information on OCCRP

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption at OCCRP and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.
Support investigative journalism in the public interest. Donate to OCCRP.

[00:00] Introduction

[01:21] Paul Naggear recounts the day of the explosion

[10:53] Rana Sabbagh explains background and how the investigation began

[16:57] Aubrey Belford explains why he volunteered to join the investigation

[20:28] Rana describes the difficulties of reporting in the blast’s aftermath

[24:03] Background on Lebanese politics

[25:26] How reporters uncovered the opaque network of companies linked to the deadly cargo

[30:32] Rana and Aubrey describe the impact of the investigation in Lebanon and the UK

[32:38] Paul describes his campaign for justice

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Azerbaijan’s Ruling Family Launder Their Millions Sep 12, 2023

How did an Azerbaijani boy end up owning a building in London’s Mayfair that housed a restaurant with two Michelin stars, an art gallery, and the Condé Nast headquarters?

Hint: His father is the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

When two of our top editors got hold of the Pandora Papers — a vast trove of leaked documents from offshore service providers — they knew it could provide key insights into how some of the most corrupt people in the world, including rulers of entire countries, hide their wealth.

Miranda Patrucic and Ilya Lozovsky take you behind the scenes of their investigation, which revealed how Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev family acquired vast properties in London— and how they even used their children to do it.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigation:

Azerbaijan’s Ruling Aliyev Family and Their Associates Acquired Dozens of Prime London Properties Worth Nearly $700 Million

(The Pandora Papers is a project based on a leak of offshore documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with OCCRP and other media outlets.)

This week’s guests

Miranda Patrucic - @MirandaOCCRP
Ilya Lozovsky - @ichbinilya
Oliver Bullough - @OliverBullough

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here.

More information on OCCRP:

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption at OCCRP and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.
Support investigative journalism in the public interest. Donate to OCCRP.

.

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trailer: Dirty Deeds Aug 31, 2023

Welcome To Dirty Deeds: Tales of Global Crime & Corruption.

Are you ready to venture into the shadows? Dirty Deeds unravels the hidden stories of the fraud and deceit behind some of the biggest international scandals in recent years, told by the investigative journalists who uncovered them.

Every other week, we’ll bring you reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a worldwide network of journalists who cross borders and bad guys to shine a bright light on some of the world’s most dangerous criminal networks. We’ll travel the globe from the oil fields of Venezuela to the rosewood forests of Namibia to the steppes of Central Asia. And don’t forget the posh London real estate where much of the dirty cash ends up. These are the inside stories of how the powerful, unscrupulous, and well-connected can acquire unimaginable wealth — and of what it takes to expose them.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

More information on OCCRP:

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption at OCCRP and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.
Support investigative journalism in the public interest. Donate to OCCRP.

.

This podcast was originally produced in Spanish. Following recent events in Venezuela, we are sharing it with a wider audience through this human-reviewed AI translation. This is an experiment, so minor imperfections may be present. Original Spanish podcast below:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5inyH4WRo1H82KgvmnmUHh
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cuello-blanco-manos-sucias/id1872501127

We welcome your feedback on this experiment at occrp.org/podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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