Gangster: The Story of The Milkman (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Gangster: The Story of The Milkman is a six-part series from BBC Radio 5 Live, presented by Livvy Haydock. It tells the story of Brian Brendan Wright, nicknamed the Milkman, whom the BBC describes as one of the UK's most significant cocaine traffickers of the 1990s. According to the BBC, his operation linked Colombian suppliers to Britain, with cocaine shipped across the Atlantic by sailboat. The series follows the 11-year investigation by Customs officers, the DEA and police in several countries. The first episode, The Sea Mist, opens with a storm in Cork, a fishing boat and 600 kilos of cocaine, and the final episode covers extradition and the reckoning that followed. Wright was jailed for 30 years in April 2007. The episodes were released weekly from 7 August to 10 September 2026, run for about half an hour each and are best heard in order. It sits in the BBC's wider Gangster strand, so on Apple Podcasts look for the episodes titled The Story of The Milkman. Content warning: strong language, drug trafficking and violence.

A six-part BBC Radio 5 Live series, presented by Livvy Haydock, on Brian Brendan Wright, known as the Milkman, and the 11-year investigation into the cocaine-trafficking operation the BBC describes.

Gangster: The Story of The Milkman (BBC Radio 5 Live) is ideal for: Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish; Listeners interested in British cases and the UK criminal justice system.

We recommend starting with Episode 1, The Sea Mist. As a serialized show, it's best to listen from the beginning of a season.

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