Podcast
Spy Craft
Hosted by Circle Of Insight Productions · EN
Welcome to “Spy Craft,” the podcast that delves into the gripping world of espionage. Join us as we uncover life-and-death spy stories, dissect covert operations, and explore the news and events that made them possible. Each episode offers a thrilling journey into the clandestine activities of spies, revealing the secrets, strategies, and stakes behind some of the most daring missions in history. Tune in for an exciting look at the shadowy world of espionage and the operatives who risk everything.
31episodes
Episodes
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Blades in the Shadows: Inside SOG’s Counter-Reconnaissance War
1w ago00:06:41Tap to summarizeBeyond intelligence gathering, MACV-SOG waged an aggressive, clandestine counter-reconnaissance campaign to keep the North Vietnamese Army entirely off-balance. We delve into the organizational structure and lethal operational tempo of SOG’s Exploitation Companies, mapping out how they launched disruptive raids against enemy headquarters and supply hubs along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Discover the harrowing logistics of these top-secret black operations and how their specialized assault tactics laid the foundation for today's tier-one counter-terrorism units.
Transcribe →Shadow State: The Secret History of North Korea’s Room 39
1w ago00:05:15Tap to summarizeDeep within the closed borders of Pyongyang sits Room 39, a highly secretive government branch dedicated to generating hard foreign currency for the North Korean regime. This gripping investigative episode unpacks the shadowy world of state-sponsored operations, tracking how billions of dollars flow through global networks via illicit trade, counterfeit currencies, and state-sanctioned smuggling. Discover the high-stakes intelligence operations that have spent decades trying to expose and dismantle the world’s most elusive financial network.
Transcribe →Espionage on Ice: Sergei Fedorov’s Daring Cold War Defection to the Detroit Red Wings
1w ago00:29:03Tap to summarizeIn the collapsing final years of the Soviet Union, Detroit Red Wings officials orchestrated one of the most daring sports defections in modern history—smuggling hockey phenom Sergei Fedorov out from under the watchful eyes of Soviet authorities. What began as a scouting mission evolved into a covert operation involving hidden letters, coded meetings, surveillance fears, and a midnight extraction during the 1990 Goodwill Games in Portland. This episode explores the intersection of Cold War espionage, psychological pressure, Soviet control systems, and the hockey revolution that changed the NHL forever.
Transcribe →Friday Flashback-Operation Mincemeat: The Fake Identity That Deceived Hitler’s High Command
2w ago00:04:21Tap to summarizeHow did a deceased, homeless Welshman become the most effective secret agent of World War II? This episode uncovers the brilliant espionage tradecraft behind Operation Mincemeat, a masterclass in counter-intelligence orchestrated by British naval intelligence officers Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley. Discover how MI5 meticulously forged "pocket litter," created a fake fiancée, and built a flawless legend for a corpse to completely blindside Nazi intelligence.
Transcribe →The Mayor and Beijing propaganda: How a California Suburb Became a Target for Chinese Influence
2w ago00:04:06Tap to summarizeIn May 2026, Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned her position and agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. Prosecutors allege that, prior to her election, Wang and her associates operated a community news website under direct instructions from Chinese officials, publishing propaganda and reporting engagement metrics to advance Beijing’s interests. This case offers a sobering examination of foreign influence operations targeting American local government and diaspora communities, raising critical questions about transparency, accountability, and the integrity of democratic institutions.
Transcribe →The Ghost Stories Program: Children Raised Inside the World of Espionage
2w ago00:12:27Tap to summarizeSome intelligence operatives don’t just live under false identities — they raise entire families inside them. In this episode, we explore the psychological consequences of children growing up in espionage households, sometimes without realizing that their parents, names, histories, and even childhood memories were carefully manufactured covers. Through the lenses of developmental psychology, attachment theory, trauma research, and intelligence tradecraft, we examine what happens when identity itself becomes operational camouflage.
Transcribe →Traitor in the Vault
2w ago00:34:29Tap to summarizeBehind the vaulted doors of the CIA, three women were tasked with an impossible mission: finding a ghost among their own colleagues. As they peeled back layers of Cold War deception, their evidence pointed toward a "Rock Star" of the intelligence community—a man who was supposed to be catching the spies, not serving them. This is a story of paranoia, betrayal, and the thin line between a legendary patriot and a devastating double agent.
Transcribe →The Invisible Key: Zero Days in the World of Espionage
3w ago00:04:19Tap to summarizeFor an intelligence officer, a Zero Day is the ultimate skeleton key for gathering signals intelligence without leaving a footprint. We dive into the secret marketplace the tech world where these vulnerabilities are bought and sold by state actors to facilitate long-term surveillance. Discover the tradecraft behind maintaining access to "hard targets" before the defense even realizes the door is unlocked.
Transcribe →Dead Drops, Brush Passes, and Spy Tradecraft That Still Works Today: The Psychology of Invisible Communication in a Hyper-Surveilled World
3w ago00:06:06Tap to summarizeAnalyze the enduring mechanics of classic espionage techniques—dead drops, brush passes, and related tradecraft—still employed by intelligence services despite pervasive digital surveillance. This episode breaks down operational principles, psychological advantages, and real-world applications, revealing how anonymity, misdirection, and human psychology enable secure communication when electronic methods carry unacceptable risk. Essential listening for intelligence professionals, students of security studies, psychologists of deception, business leaders concerned with operational security, and anyone navigating trust and privacy in an era of constant monitoring.
Transcribe →The Macau Ghost: Inside the Brass Monkey Files – Espionage, Asset Compromise, and Intelligence Tradecraft Breakdown
3w ago00:04:25Tap to summarizewe examine “The Macau Ghost” — a high-stakes espionage case involving asset recruitment, operational compromise, and counterintelligence tactics in Macau’s shadowy financial and intelligence landscape. This forensic intelligence analysis details the tradecraft, psychological operations, and security failures that led to the asset’s exposure and the network’s collapse. Essential listening for understanding modern espionage dynamics, handler-asset relationships, and the real-world challenges of running covert operations in high-risk environments.
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