Infamous International: The Pink Panthers Story

Exactly Right presents The Butterfly King, a historical true crime limited series produced in partnership with Blanchard House. Join multi-award-winning journalist Becky Milligan as she unravels eighty years of lies, deceit and cover-ups to answer one question: Who killed the Butterfly King?

You’re about to hear “The Mender of Broken Dishes,” episode one of The Butterfly King. It’s 1943 during a critical point in the Second World War. Caught in the crossfire, King Boris III of Bulgaria has a crucial meeting with a key ally. Someone resents his influence and wants him out of the way for good. The second episode, “Lies, Lies, Lies,” is available now in The Butterfly King podcast feed.

Follow, rate and review The Butterfly King wherever you get your podcasts. See historical photos by going to @exactlyright on Instagram.

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In the finale of Infamous International: The Pink Panthers Story, Bojana Mitić and Mladen Lazarević try to stay out of the limelight in their hometown of Niš, Serbia. But multiple attempts on their lives prove that laying low is more difficult than it seems. Collaborative law enforcement and better technology have hobbled the Pink Panthers—but professional criminals know they must adapt or pay the price.

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Milan Ljepoja has been interrogated, extradited and imprisoned. But even with his life on the line, he keeps his cool and impresses his captors. After his arrest in France, Milan quietly serves nine years in prison then returns to his hometown of Niš, Serbia. He’s determined to go straight, but try as he might, the past is prologue for this debonair Pink Panther.

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Located on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is tiny, rich and virtually crime-free—until the Pink Panthers show up. After they penetrate the peaceful haven for the ultra-wealthy, Monaco’s Prince Albert II appoints dashing French police inspector Andre Mulhberger to restore his subjects’ peace of mind. But temptations lurk everywhere in this “sunny place for shady people,” and even an incorruptible cop can find himself swimming in dangerous waters.

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“Punch” Stanimirovic, a safe-cracking former Pink Panther, didn’t seek out a life of crime—he was born into it. In Episode Six, Stanimirovic offers his take on the Panthers’ murky origin story, but it’s just one of many that have been suggested. Who’s really in charge of this infamous criminal gang? Is it a highly organized global network, a loose collection of thieves with similar styles—or something else entirely?

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Capturing a Pink Panther is one thing, but keeping them under lock and key is another. The Panthers develop a new talent: prison breaks. They escape jail time by breaking out with speed, precision and a flair for theatrics. In Episode Five, Olivera Ćircović, a former pro basketball star turned Pink Panther, takes us through her origin story, her life of crime and her daring escape from a notorious Greek prison. And Milan Ljepoja proves that a jail in the tiny country of Liechtenstein is no match for the Pink Panthers.

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The Dubai police are stumped as they work to track down the thieves from the smash-and-grab heist at Wafi Mall. When the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) gets involved, they find connections between the Dubai heist and other robberies around the world. Suddenly, the Pink Panthers are a major global threat, not just an embarrassment to local law enforcement. A special Interpol task force mobilizes to stop the Pink Panthers once and for all.

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How did the three young thieves from the Dubai heist get their start in a life of crime? Mladen, Bojana and Milan came of age together in the Serbian city of Niš amid civil war, economic sanctions and a thriving black-market economy. After being recruited by criminal gangs, they pull off their first heist together and, in the process, create their own playbook for their future as Pink Panthers.

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The heist in Dubai is just the latest in a string of elaborate smash-and-grab robberies of high-end jewelry stores across the globe. In glamorous locations like Monaco, Paris, London and Tokyo, the Pink Panthers’ flashy, cinematic style involves wigs and costumes, speedboats and motorcycles, blowtorches and grenades. But when the loot is worth millions — and instantly recognizable — selling what you’ve stolen is a crucial skill all its own.

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Three young jewel thieves from Eastern Europe arrive in Dubai with a plan for a spectacular heist that will make them both rich and famous. They’ll drive two luxury sedans through the glass entrance doors of a high-end shopping mall and make off with millions in diamonds and jewelry — all in under a minute. Meet the Pink Panthers.

Hosted by Natalia Antelava

Written by Katrina Wolfe, Adam Pincus, Suzanne Myers and David Markowitz with help from Brent Katz and Matt Levin.

Best Case Studios:

Adam Pincus, Executive Producer

David Markowitz, Senior Producer

Katrina Wolfe, Producer

Hannah Lebowitz-Lockard, Associate Producer

Julie Goldstein and Louis Spiegler, Consulting Producers

Coda Story:

Ilan Greenberg, Reporter

Rebekah Robinson, Associate Producer

Gaelan Mullins and Max Michael Miller, Editors and Sound Designers

Dave Harrington, Original Music

Magda Gora and Paul Dallas, Archival Producers

Exactly Right:

Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer, Executive Producers

Kyle Ryan, Consulting Producer

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