Asia's Underworld

Hired killers operate in organised networks in the capital of Philippines. As the bullets fly, gang wars rage in the streets while cops are gunned down and politicians fear for their lives.

Child sex offenders thrive in Southeast Asian countries, where laws are rife with loopholes and victims are most vulnerable. Cambodia’s underdeveloped social infrastructure has created an infamous breeding ground for child prostitution and sex tourism.

Police estimate that 1.7 million people in the Philippines are addicted to drugs. Thanks to pushers and manufacturers who continue to churn out these illegal poisons for profit, nearly USD 20 million worth of narcotics are sold every day across the country.

We take an exclusive peep into the underground world of illegal pimps in Asia through real life testimonies of pimps at large and behind bars.

From deep within the Straits of Malacca, we meet real Acehnese pirates who rob ships and boats for a living, armed with their weapons of choice. Equally fearless are the Coast Guards that patrol the high seas.

The UN estimates nearly 2.5 million people from 127 countries are being trafficked around the world, forced into prostitution, begging syndicates or sold as cheap labour.

Meet the addicted gamblers who will bet on anything from a pigeon race to a presidential election, and the ruthless bookies who use extortion and blackmail to ensure they get paid.

Offering easy money with a quick loan, thousands in cash, no questions asked. But when a borrower can’t keep up with the payment terms, loan sharks strike mercilessly. Among the loan sharks’ weapons: blackmail, kidnapping, extortion and violence.