The Child Cancer Scam: 1. The video

Seven-year-old Khalil from the Philippines has cancer. His family hope making a campaign video might save him, because they desperately need help to pay for his treatment. But the shoot is demanding, exhausting. Khalil even has onions put in front of his eyes to make him cry. For his mother Aljin, it’s a last-ditch attempt to help her son. But despite following every demand made by a “foreign sponsor”, she’s told the video doesn’t make any money. Season 10 of World of Secrets, The Child Cancer Scam, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the child depicted is a model.

Your child is critically ill with cancer. It’s the worst news you can get. But to make the situation even more awful, you struggle to afford the care they need. So, when someone tells you a foreign sponsor can help raise the money, you’ll do anything. You make a video: your child begs for help from strangers online. But it comes to nothing. You wait and wait for the cash from the donations. It never comes, and all the while your child is fighting for their life. In this World of Secrets podcast from the BBC World Service, BBC Eye uncovers the shocking truth. Released from 15th December. Please note, the show image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

An undercover meeting with the pimp we’ve been investigating for two years. And a chase from Dubai to the UK to get answers. Back in Uganda, Monic’s family have been waiting for this moment. This episode includes discussion of suicide and some disturbing events. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubaiIf you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

The story behind the viral Dubai Porta Potty rumours and why, even in death, Monic became the subject of an online witch hunt. Meanwhile we go undercover – are we getting closer to Monic’s boss? And a breakthrough in the quest to find where she is buried. This episode includes discussion of disturbing events, including sexual abuse and violence. It also contains racist language.Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service, produced in association with Thread Studios.Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.Audio for this episode was updated on 22nd September 2025.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

A key insider agrees to talk. He says he worked at the centre of this illegal prostitution ring. Why is he speaking out now? And what can he tell us about the world Monic was caught up in, and the man she was working for? We follow in Monic’s footsteps to the glitzy clubs and bars where we are told she was sent. This episode includes discussion of sex and abuse. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

Kiera and Mia remember Monic as charismatic and kind-hearted. They were living with her in Dubai and can reveal the shocking reality of her life there, saying they were all trapped in a prostitution ring run by a man they believe is “the most powerful pimp in Dubai”. They say they’re scared of him but are determined to speak out, to get justice for their friend. This episode contains strong language. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubaiIf you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

Monic’s relative heads to the UAE, like her, in pursuit of a dream. But soon after, news of her death shatters everything. Devastated and distrusting of the police’s account, Michael takes the search for truth into his own hands leading to a dramatic confrontation. This episode contains strong language. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service. Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

Monic dreams of leaving her home in rural Uganda for a different life. So when a “friend” promises her a job in Dubai, it feels like the chance she’s been waiting for. Monic is elated, she is the first of her 11 siblings to travel abroad. But just a few months later she is dead. Her family is left searching for answers. What happened in Dubai? A warning that this podcast includes disturbing scenes, including discussion of sexual abuse and suicide. Some episodes also contain strong language. Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service.Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubaiIf you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

A woman falls from a tower block. It's caught on camera and the clip goes viral. Within hours, Mona Kizz’s name is trending worldwide. In death, the beautiful 23-year-old Ugandan is accused of being a #DubaiPortaPotty. With over 450 million views on TikTok, the hashtag leads to parodies and speculative exposés of women suspected of being paid by men to be their human toilet. But behind the online rumours lies an even darker reality.Released from 15th September.This podcast includes disturbing scenes, including discussion of sexual abuse and suicide. Some episodes also contain strong language. Please note, the show image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

The biggest heist yet - $1.5 billion disappears in minutes. But what follows reveals North Korea’s expanding reach — from elite hackers to soldiers on the battlefield. Listen to this special episode from The Lazarus Heist right here. The audacious attack was on the ByBit crypto exchange in February 2025. Investigators say North Korean hackers, the Lazarus Group, are responsible – the biggest heist in the history of crypto. With hosts Jean Lee and Geoff White, we uncover how they pulled it off.But as Pyongyang’s cyber army is striking targets all over the world, North Korean soldiers have also been fighting on more traditional battlegrounds – siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine. We meet the South Korean correspondent who secured a world-exclusive interview with a North Korean POW. Does this all signify a turning point for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as his cyber operatives pull off increasingly daring heists and his military gain real-world combat experience fighting with the Russians against Ukraine? As Kim continues to ally with Vladimir Putin — a leader whose country possesses exactly the kind of nuclear expertise North Korea has long sought – is he more dangerous than ever? Meanwhile North Korea says it has nothing to do with the cybercrimes the Lazarus Group is accused of, saying the United States is making these allegations to try and tarnish its image.To hear more about the hackers, search for The Lazarus Heist, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.