Kingpins
Like any legitimate business, criminal organizations operate using a hierarchy of underlings, operatives and decision makers. And there’s one person at the very top, pulling the strings – the kingpin. But how do they make it there? Filmmaker Ben Zand explores the steps taken to reach the pinnacle of a crime gang, the vicious behavior required to stay there and the constant threats they face.
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Kingpins on BBC Select
Episode 1: Mexico
Filmmaker Ben Zand travels to Culiacán to spend time with a Mexican drug trafficker.
Filmmaker Ben Zand heads to Culiacán to spend time with a Mexican drug trafficker and discover what a day in the life is like for a notorious criminal. Gaining unprecedented access, Ben discovers how they live, how they spend their money and the ‘normal’ activities they get up to. He also comes face-to-face with the dark consequences of their actions, meeting the mothers searching for loved ones.
Episode 2: Lebanon
Ben Zand travels to Lebanon to spend time with an arms dealer and criminal kingpin.
Filmmaker Ben Zand travels to Lebanon to spend time with an arms dealer. With unprecedented access, he navigates through secretive locales revealing hidden gun and money stashes and opulent homes, and even finds himself in the middle of a live bank robbery. He also encounters the consequences of these criminal actions, meeting with people who have lost family members to gun violence.
Episode 3: UK
Filmmaker Ben Zand travels around the UK to spend time with British drug dealers.
Ben Zand travels around the UK where working-class gangs dominate the crack-cocaine trade. With unprecedented access, he uncovers the inner workings of their operations, including drug-labs and weapon caches. He also comes face-to-face with the dark consequences of their actions, seeing drug users’ houses taken over as ‘trap yards’ and meeting with people who have fallen victim to drug abuse.
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