In this week's Two Steps East podcast, brought to you by risk consultant and CEE private detective Preston Smith, we highlight the death of "Bolo," who passed away due to pancreatic cancer in early September, as well as the final fate of the infamous Polish Pruszkow Mafia. Is this finally the end of an era that once saw local mafias, such as Pruszkow, the Mokotow "Finger Chopping" Mafia and the deadly Wolomin Mafia rule the roost. Also featured in this episode is the cascade of arrests and events following the murder of Slovak journalists Jan Kuciak in 2018--events, which have now directly or indirectly lead to charges against a host of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, politicians and now the resignation of yet a third national police chief in a country still plagued by the past. Also featured is the "parking lot" scam--which is both simple and nefariously effective. 

Please note that later this week we will also feature the standard "rundown" of news, incidents and intrigue in typical Two Steps East podcasts. 

(Intro riff copyright Marek Tymkoff and Preston Smith [Bone Music]. Background music and outro song [The Hoo Ha Song] copyright Preston Smith and recorded live by Elvis in Hell/Preston Smith [lead guitar and vocals], Milosz Durka [stand up bass] and Ara Soghomonian on drums.)  

In this episode Poland-based risk consultant and private detective brings you answers to your letters (and thanks for those); the COVID Mu variant in the CR; an Albanian drug bust; Bulgarian politics; Belarus war games and weapons support from Russia; the weaponizing of migration and the Polish border state-of-emergency decree; the politics (or lack thereof) of reprivatization investigations (and the shocking number of ongoing investigations in Warsaw) and more...

Also, check out the latest Blade Hunt crime fiction chapter here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1834469/9124726

(Intro, background and outro music [The Bone Box Song, The Ohm song] copyright Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff/all rights reserved.}

In this week's episode CEE risk consultant and private detective P. "Konrad" Smith discusses a new twist on the "stripper scam" and why it is so difficult to prosecute, as well as regional crime, politics and mafia news, including: the IMF's decision to give Belarus USD 1 bln; allegations that the Czech SIS has been spying on the president; the continued investigation into former Latvian Central Bank governor Ilmars R. (as well as the flipping of a witness and death of another); the Polish lex-TVN conundrum; a massive Spanish-Swedish bust of a Swedish-Polish drug cartel possibly guilty of murdering some 50 persons; the weaponization by Belarus of migrants and the impasse at the Polish border; Ukrainian gas politics and finally the indictment of Yorgen F. in the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Galizia. 

(Intro and outro riff copyright by Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff). 

 In this special podcast Two Steps East detective P. "Konrad" Smith interviews Dutch-American AFP photojournalist (and eye witness) Jaap Arriens about the current Belarussian-Polish border crisis, which has resulted in a tense standoff between border guards with refugees caught in no-man's land in-between. No less than 32 refugees and one cat have been stranded for 11 days as result of a Belarussian strategy to weaponize refugees and funnel them into the EU, but now the various letters of the law have created a diplomatic flap for all sides and a micro case study of the real suffering of very real people. 

(Intro and outro music copyright Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff/all rights reserved). 

In this episode of Two Steps East CEE private detective P. "Konrad" Smith tackles some rather vocal letters--and addresses a new wave of SMS scams, as well as bigger "recycled" food product scams that have plagued manufacturers in the region for years. 

Also in this episode: Could Bulgaria be heading for its third round of early elections this year--or maybe... a fourth round as well? 

This segment also addresses the EU's take on Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and the Agrofert conflict-of-interest/EU subsidy story and finally two past/present true crime stories in Poland, the first being the resurgence and possible retrial of suspects in the Carpathian Sex Affair (as well as the suicide in prison of former star boxer Dawid K.). Meanwhile, the trial of gangsters implicated in past kidnappings--and the work of Polish CBSP teams--has led to the ongoing trial of the alleged murderers of Polish Prime Minister Piotr Jaroszewicz and his wife, Alicja Solska, who were killed during a robbery in Anin in 1992. This backstory is both fascinating and heroic--and you're getting it here at Two Steps East. 

(Intro and outro music copyright Preston Smith/Marek Tymkoff/all rights reserved.)

In this episode CEE private detective P. Konrad Smith discusses the continued turmoil in Belarus--including more arrests and sanctions by the US Biden government; the Bulgarian government impasse; Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis's decision to remove the head of the Czech secret service in the wake of continued Russian investigations; an ingenious Latvian international dark net "cash out" scam and the turmoil in Poland with a rarely seen "reasumpcja" vote to force the shut down or sale of the US' largest private (read non-military) investment, the television news source TVN/TVN24. 

Also in this episode: an update on the Lithuanian (and somewhat bizarre) Neringa Venckiene child custody (and murder) saga--and what strategy is key should you also face divorce proceedings and a battle over custody of your child. 

In this episode your dedicated CEE detective P. Konrad Smith takes on allegations surrounding Balkan money laundering and real estate and rising chaos in Belarus, including a defection, a mysterious death in Ukraine and more co-opting on the part of Russia. Also included in this podcast are musings on the Bulgarian elections; Polish political developments (and the impact of a new tax plan); the anniversary of the mysterious death of Polish Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper and the allegedly botched and now dropped investigation into the investigation of Polish anti- reprivatization activist Jolanta Brzeska. 

It's the end of the month for Two Steps East, which means it's time for recognition and awards, including crimes and scams not yet featured on this podcast, such as a reverse-blockchain/crypting scam conducted by Estonian and Russian nationals; how the art-auction hustle works in Central Europe, and why the White House move to anonymize Hunter Biden auctions is... curious. Also featured is a Montenegrin cocaine mob hit in Ukraine;  the flood of illicit drugs and arms to Poland and, finally, a few tips on how to protect your business from the narco trade. Also noted is the Brexit-Lugano convention impasse and omens of other surprises to come. 

All music copyright Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff.

In this episode, Central European private detective P. Konrad Smith discusses the realities of private surveillance, the use of drones, counter surveillance (bug scanning) and more. On this podcast he is joined by a fellow detective, former Polish police captain and surveillance/counter surveillance specialist, Tomasz M., as well as long-time compatriot, Anna B. 

Intro and outro music copyright Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff

With news cycles--including Central European news cycles--focusing on Pegasus spyware and its possible use by authoritarian governments-- licensed detective Preston Smith first discusses regional political, criminal and corruption news (including Albanian vendettas and the Croatian Jonathan Taylor whistleblower case), and then the realities of spyware and phone surveillance. This episode also includes a new feature, the "scam of the month," for those seeking knowledge on common grifts and the steps and awareness needed to avoid them. [The spyware/Pegasus isses are discussed at around minute 25 to the end].

Intro and outro music [Mrs. Bullfrog and The Ohm Song] copyright Preston Smith and Marek Tymkoff