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The Last Voyage of the Pong Su — True Crime
The Last Voyage of the Pong Su

A North Korean dictator, bags of heroin, drug lords, spooks, sailors, Australian cops and a web of lies: Come aboard The Last Voyage of The Pong Su.

Copyright: © 2022 The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

Latest Episodes:

Coming soon - Liar, Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions Apr 04, 2022

Since late 2020, the case of missing Sydney woman Melissa Caddick has captivated the country. A seemingly successful businesswoman from Sydney's eastern suburbs went missing after authorities raided her Dover Heights home amid questions over an unlicensed financial planning business.
Sydney Morning Herald investigative journalist Kate McClymont would reveal key details of a massive Ponzi scheme and a $23 million fraud that ripped off investors including her family and friends as Caddick lived the high life of overseas trips, cars and high end fashion. McClymont's coverage would win her a ninth Walkley Award.
Now McClymont and 60 Minutes’ Tom Steinfort are set to present a breakthrough podcast Liar, Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions that will follow the twists and turns of a case where everyone has a theory of their own. What happened to the money and what happened to Melissa? Liar Liar will reveal fresh details of the crime of the century through interviews with key players and takes listeners from upmarket jewellery auction rooms in Hong Kong, to the ski slopes of Aspen to private islands in the South Pacific.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The double agent Apr 25, 2021

Special bonus episode. A human source risks his life by becoming a double agent. His existence and his crucial role in helping police know which syndicate members to shadow before the Pong Su's April 2003 arrival has remained a secret until now.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Production assistance - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naked City: A true crime podcast from the makers of Pong Su Jul 30, 2020

John Silvester, Australia’s longest-serving crime reporter, will take you on a journey through his 40 years of dealing with the nation’s most dangerous criminals. Subscribe now and get all the episodes straight to your device the minute they are published.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pong Su extra: Taking the helm of the Pong Su Dec 23, 2019

Nicholas Martin had a very important role in the Pong Su story, but it’s one he’s never talked publicly about until now.

Nicholas was a navy clearance diver who boarded the Pong Su with the SAS troops. After clearing the ship for improvised explosive devices, Nicholas took command of the bridge and working with one of the captured North Koreans steered the Pong Su back to Sydney Harbour.
In this interview you’ll also hear about what it’s like to skipper a navy patrol boat in Australia’s northern water at the age of 20, and what it takes to be a clearance diver.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Production assistance - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pong Su extra: Mission planning with the SAS Dec 19, 2019

In episode 5 of 'The Last Voyage of the Pong Su', we hear from Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis - two men who were part of the Special Air Service Regiment tasked with a dramatic capture of the Pong Su.
In this extended interview you’ll hear about what happened before, during and after the day of this dramatic operation - as well as their memories of the infamous Tampa affair of 2001 and conflict overseas.
Check out Ben and Tim's own podcast 'The Unforgiving60'.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Production assistance - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reckoning Dec 09, 2019

Episode 10. After 16 years, the truth finally emerges about the tight bond between three of the key players in the heroin import and their ties to North Korea.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is a 10-part series brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald.

If you enjoyed this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Assistant Producer - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: CNN

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from The Truth the Dead Know by Anne Sexton - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most free they’d ever be Dec 02, 2019

Episode 9. Nerves are frayed on all sides as a marathon courtroom case concludes. The Australian government plans for a spectacular end to the Pong Su.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Assistant Producer - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Channel Nine and the AFL.

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was from Law of the Jungle by Rudyard Kipling - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The defector's choice Nov 25, 2019

Episode 8. Australian prosecutors travel to Seoul to meet North Korean defectors as they try to understand the power structure on board the Pong Su. While laboratory results tell police there is something different about the Pong Su’s heroin.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Assistant Producer - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Associated Press, ABC news America and Richard Rogers.

The poem you heard at the start of this episode is called I go down to the shore by Mary Oliver - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You need a lawyer Nov 18, 2019

Episode 7. The legal battle begins to save the Pong Su crew and a special relationship builds between a suburban Melbourne solicitor and a mysterious North Korean man who has everyone guessing.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Assistant Producer - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Channel Nine, NBC and Asia Brief.

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hidden forces Nov 11, 2019

Episode 6. Was Kim Jong Il’’s secretive money-making agency behind the Pong Su heroin importation? A high-profile North Korean defector speaks out.

Age & SMH subscribers can listen to an extended interview with former clearance diver Nicholas Martin here: https://bit.ly/2Kackvx

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Assistant Producer - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Time Magazine, C-SPAN, Alux.com, Vidello Productions, NBC, Associated Press, Sky News UK, Journeyman pictures, Channel 10, Channel 9, ABC, ABC America and CNN

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from the poem Midnight Sun by Kim Hyesoon - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hot pursuit Nov 04, 2019

Episode 5. A dramatic chase at sea unfolds to stop a fleeing Pong Su. The North Korean crew fears the worst for their Master after they are told by their superiors in Pyongyang to stop and fight.
Age & SMH subscribers can listen to an extended interview with former SAS soldiers Ben Pronk and Tim Curtis here: https://bit.ly/36s4szb

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Extra production - Tim Mummery
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Channel Seven

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway- read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Do you believe in luck?" Oct 27, 2019

Episode four. Tension among the Asian crime syndicate members is at breaking point, while Australian police keep finding their best laid plans are going astray.
A dead body on the beach throws everyone off their game.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Extra production - Tim Mummery
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from The Wasteland by T.S Eliot, read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Going fishing Oct 21, 2019

Episode three. Secretly bugged conversations give Australian police clues about the immense scale of the heroin import. On board the Pong Su, two men prepare to risk everything to make it happen.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional audio from: Reuters, Associated Press and the Australian Liberal Party.

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Master Sun's big gamble Oct 14, 2019

Episode two. Pong Su skipper Song Man Sun embarks on his final journey before retirement, while Australian police get a big break as they covertly track suspected Asian crime syndicate foot soldiers around Melbourne’s casino and the nearby Great Ocean Road coast.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional film audio from: Narcos Productions LLC and MMDP Munich Movie Development & Production

The reading you heard at the start of this episode was an excerpt from 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"This f---ing boat" Oct 07, 2019

Episode one. North Korean cargo ship the Pong Su comes dangerously close to Australia’s Great Ocean Road shoreline as part of a high-risk, high-reward operation to import a record amount of heroin. Coastal locals have never seen anything like it.

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

If you’re enjoying this series, leave a review on iTunes and recommend us to a friend.

To read more, and to watch the videos referenced in this episode, head to our websites.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick
Actors:
Chin Kwang Lee is played by Andy Song
Kiam Fah Teng is played by Anthony Ting
Yau Kim Lam is played by Jason Chong
Casting - Catapult Casting

Additional Audio from: Largo International N.V, World Surf League and Sky News
The poem you heard at the start of this episode is titled ‘Waves’ by South Korean poet Cho Oh-hyun, read by Jason Chong.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trailer: The Last Voyage of the Pong Su Oct 02, 2019

Launching Tuesday, October 8 - Richard Baker investigates the final journey of the Pong Su in a new podcast from The Age & Sydney Morning Herald.

When a dead body and bags of heroin washes up on the southern coast of Australia, a dark tale begins to unfold...

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming soon: The Last Voyage of the Pong Su Sep 24, 2019

When a dead body and bags of heroin washed up on the southern coast of Australia, a dark tale began to unfold...

Richard Baker investigates the final journey of the Pong Su in a new podcast from The Age & Sydney Morning Herald.

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts, and look out for episode 1 on October 8.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Support the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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