South Africa's secretive Numbers Gangs almost defy description; they're one part cult, one part religion, and all parts violent psychopaths. Emerging originally as bandits preying on gold miners and policemen in colonial South Africa, they took shape in the brutal prison system of apartheid, where sometimes the only way to communicate was through stabbing wh ... Show More
Jul 8
The Shaman-Gangsters Who Built Indonesia
For centuries, brigands, gangsters and street toughs ruled the island of Java so thoroughly that they were woven into local myths. But in the 20th century, when the world bounded towards war, mob bosses in Jakarta spotted a chance to turn underworld kudos into an independent nati ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 24
Cocaine, Camorra, Call Girls: Maradona's Downfall
In 1987, Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona was on top of the world. He’d just handed his nation a World Cup, and his club side Napoli its first league title in over 60 years. But Maradona’s hard-partying lifestyle and underworld friends would soon take their toll - and before ... Show More
1h 9m
Apr 23
EP122: Korean Cannibal Clan
Join our Patreon family for exclusive access to BTS, bonus episodes, a private group chat, first dibs on ticket and merch sales, and more! www.Patreon.com/PsychopediaPod The Chijon Family was a nightmarishly savage South Korean gang that blazed a brief but blood-soaked trail of t ... Show More
1h 11m
Nov 2024
Always Cheat & Always Win: Episode 419
Roderick McLean said it was important to 'always cheat: always win'. A larger than life character, McLean, known as 'Popeye', was sent to prisom when police and customs officers captured a gang of eight drug smugglers off the Caithness coast. During the raid customs officer Alast ... Show More
28m 29s
Apr 16
UFOS, Occultists, Murder Schemes: The Deaths of Miguel and Manuel
Brazil, 1966. Two men in suits were found dead on a hill, surrounded by odd notes, and wearing lead eye masks. With no sign of violence, police were baffled. Theorists linked the men to occult rituals, criminal conspiracy, and maybe even alien contact. Keep up with us on Instagra ... Show More
45m 49s