The global shipping industry, vital for international trade, is a hotbed for criminal activities like maritime fraud.

In this podcast episode, journalist and author Matthew Campbell, co-author of Dead in the Water, joins Mark to unravel the Brillante Virtuoso case.

In 2011, this oil tanker, traveling from Crimea to China, was reportedly attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. However, the vessel’s destruction and subsequent insurance claims exposed a web of deceit.

Maritime surveyor Captain David Mockett uncovered inconsistencies in the official story, threatening to reveal a larger conspiracy—ultimately leading to his tragic murder.

The episode also explores the insurance industry’s complicity, raising ethical questions about accountability in handling suspicious claims.

Listen to uncover the shocking truth behind this maritime fraud case.

Timecodes:

0:00 – Intro

01:58.832 - The scale of fraud in the shipping industry

05:48.399 - The Greek shipping industry

08:01.076 - Complicity of shipping insurance industry

11:17.973 - Brillante Virtuoso Story

14:54.102 – The murder of Capt. David Mockett

18:06.475 - Connecting with Cynthia Mockett

20:59.461 - Richard Veale & Michael Conner: The Investigators

24:59.447 - The owner of the Brillante Virtuoso

28:17.523 - Unresolved case

29:44.903 - Building a narrative around such a complex case

35:38.745 - Collaborating with Kit Chellel

38:32.093 - What was left out

41:43.017 - Response to the book

43:26.518 - Response from Lloyds of London

44:35.353 - Next project and thoughts on books like Dead in the Water

48:15.185 - Outro

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Federico Varese's book ‘Dead in the Water’ is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Water-Hijacking-Maritime-Conspiracy/dp/0593329236

An audiobook is also available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Water-Murder-Secretive-Industry/dp/B0B5VMXF33/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0

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Underworlds with Mark Shaw Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0ss7EEqXOflp3d-lZw4LfIe

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🎧Audio version: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/18f9e732-a770-4e43-a109-c44c9291e581/

🎧WHY NOT TRY OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

🎧Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0spSX0QUq7j0NmIZOqyDTZQ

🎧The Index - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0uc_4CftGl8PrwHA3IK5WeI

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