Suddenly under arrest, Khun Sa was forced to rebuild his empire from behind prison walls in Manderlay. He solidified his position as one of the leading drug lords in the Golden Triangle with a daring escape, rebranding himself in the process as a Shan nationalist fighting for separation from Burma.
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Dec 2020
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 5: The East LA Banditos
In East LA, a group of deputies named the Banditos stand accused of running the sheriff’s substation like a gang, institutionalizing a culture of fear and retaliation. And while they’re intimidating civilians and colleagues alike, they may be protected by the very top of the depa ... Show More
42m 55s
Dec 2020
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 4: The Compton Executioners
The Compton Executioners allegedly control every aspect of life at the LASD Compton substation. Gang members have been accused of assaulting fellow deputies and even killing civilians, claiming, often without evidence, that they were acting in self-defense. And although they’ve f ... Show More
43m 48s
Dec 2020
LA County Sheriff’s Gangs Pt. 3: Wild West Roots/Jump Out Boys
By the 1850s, Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous places to live in the West. Extrajudicial killings, unchecked racial violence, and vigilante groups like the Los Angeles Rangers prevailed. This “Wild West” culture seeped into and was propagated by the Sheriff’s Department ... Show More
40m 51s
Oct 2021
The Burmese Heroin Jungle Kingpin & the Transgender Opium Queen
Khun Sa was a mercenary, a rebel, a warlord and a freedom fighting drugmaker who all-but created the modern heroin industry in the wake of the Vietnam War’s smack epidemic. At one point, the Shan hero, his fiefdom buried deep in the Burmese brush, supplied three quarters of all t ... Show More
51m 1s
Oct 2020
“The Hippie Trail Killer” Charles Sobhraj Pt. 2
After spending years in and out of prison, Charles “The Serpent” Sobhraj was determined to make something of himself. To do that, he needed money — only now, he knew better than to leave behind any witnesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
43m 41s
Oct 2020
“The Hippie Trail Killer” Charles Sobhraj Pt. 1
Growing up in Vietnam, India and France in the 1940s and ‘50s, Charles Sobhraj never truly fit in anywhere — not even with his family. When they turned their backs on him for good, he became a con man smuggling cars, escaping debts, stealing from tourists… and breaking out of pri ... Show More
44m 16s
Jun 2021
“The Guru's Secretary” Sheela Birnstiel Pt. 2
With her relationship with Bhagwan strained and her power slipping away, Sheela Birnstiel knew she had to do something drastic to make him happy and gain it all back. So in 1984, assisted by a group of loyal followers, Birnstiel masterminded the largest bioterrorist attack the U. ... Show More
49m 55s