Death in Dubai: 3. The most powerful pimp

World of Secrets

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary

4.7 • 765 Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kiera and Mia remember Monic as charismatic and kind-hearted. They were living with her in Dubai and can reveal the shocking reality of her life there, saying they were all trapped in a prostitution ring run by a man they believe is “the most powerful pimp in Dubai”. They say they’re scared of him but are determined to speak out, to get justice for their friend.

This episode contains strong language.

Presented by investigative journalist Runako Celina.

Season 9 of World of Secrets, Death in Dubai, is a BBC Eye investigation, produced in association with Thread Studios, for the BBC World Service.

Please note, the image is being used for illustrative purposes only and the person depicted in it is a model.

If you feel distressed by the references in this story, please speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

For UK listeners, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse, or with feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Here’s a link to the BBC Eye documentary film, which we recommend you watch after listening to this podcast: https://bit.ly/bbcdeathindubai

If you are in the UK, you can watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n12t256jg

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:05.7	Episodes of World of Secrets are released weekly, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
0:12.0	But if you're in the UK, you can listen to the full season right now, first, on BBC Sounds.
0:20.0	A heads up that this episode has some strong language and discusses abuse.
0:31.1	There's pounding at Kira's door.
0:34.2	Voices shouting her name.
0:36.9	She's thinking, what on earth is going on? The other girls
0:41.1	are yelling that Monica has died. Her body's been found on the ground outside a high-rise.
0:48.6	Kira runs there as fast as she can.
0:53.6	I went to the building, but I was scared of reaching where the body is.
0:58.0	I stayed behind because I was scared.
1:01.0	It was my first time to see a human body.
1:05.0	The police were there trying to cover the body, everything, but it was a big trauma for us.
1:12.3	Almost immediately, Kira starts hearing whispers about what's happened to her friend.
1:17.6	It was just like too much.
1:20.1	Everyone was talking, saying these different stories.
1:23.4	Monica was depressed.
1:24.9	They all were.
1:26.2	How could they not be?
1:37.3	You know, sometimes you go through things in life and you think death is the only solution, the solution to everything. But she doesn't think Monica would take her own life.
1:40.3	She was always determined. When she wants something, she'll go for it. She'll always get it. She doesn't give up easily. She's a person who never gives up on something. She'll always keep on trying, trying so hard.
1:56.0	Back in the apartment, it's chaos as the news spreads. Everyone's shouting.
	...

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