Paul Vugts is a Dutch journalist who has been following events in the Amsterdam underworld for more than twenty-five years. He writes about drug gangsters, contract killings, and the global cocaine business—and it is precisely because of his articles that he found his life in danger. He faced death threats, had to leave his home, and lived with his future wife under the protection of an elite police unit in a strictly guarded security regime.
In the first episode of the Protagonista podcast series, he speaks with Pavla Holcová about how one negotiates with criminals, what a journalist can uncover—and when it becomes dangerous. He openly describes the behind-the-scenes of the Ridouan Taghi case, the boss of one of the most brutal drug organizations in Europe, and how violence from the underworld has spilled over to judges, lawyers, and journalists. He tells a story about fear, about courage—and about why he never stopped writing. And also about everything you have to lose before you start feeling safe again.
