LiSTNR and The West Australian have launched a new six-part investigative podcast series examining Australia’s cocaine trade, law enforcement tensions, and the rise of international cartels targeting the local market.
Behind the White Line, which launched today on LiSTNR’s Secrets We Keep feed, is hosted by investigative journalist Richard Baker and centres on what the series describes as Australia’s growing cocaine epidemic.
Produced by The West Australian, the series explores Australia’s position as the world’s highest per-capita cocaine user, while examining how Mexican cartels and international crime syndicates are increasingly targeting the country for profits.
Inside a $1 billion sting operation
According to the series, listeners are taken inside a $1 billion sting operation involving the DEA, AFP and West Australian police, including an operation where fake bricks of cocaine were dumped 70 kilometres off the Perth coast.
The podcast also examines tensions between local and international law enforcement agencies.
Baker said: “This collaboration with The West Australian has allowed us to look deep into a story that starts on the shores of WA but has massive national and international implications. We’re at a point where cocaine use is almost normalised in Australia, but there is a dark, complex trail that leads to those cubicles.
“While the cartels are working together with lethal efficiency, our own law enforcement agencies are locked in a fierce turf war. That friction gives the cartels a deadly advantage.”
Multi-platform push for The West Australian
The launch marks another audio expansion for The West Australian, with the investigation also supported by additional reporting and analysis on thewest.com.au.
Editor in Chief Christopher Dore said: “Behind the White Line is a powerful example of the kind of journalism The West Australian is committed to, deep, rigorous reporting that holds up to scrutiny and serves the public interest.
“This investigation plays to our strengths across multiple platforms, combining the authority of our newsroom with the reach and immediacy of audio to bring a complex national story to life.”
LiSTNR Head of Factual, Clair Weaver, positioned the series as part of the platform’s broader investigative and true-crime strategy.
“Behind the White Line is a masterclass in investigative storytelling and a testament to the strength of our partnership with The West Australian,” Weaver said.
“Richard Baker has uncovered a narrative that is as thrilling as it is sobering, shedding light on the scale of the cartels’ reach into Australia.
“Fresh off the back of the hugely successful Dezi Freeman: The Hunt miniseries, the Secrets We Keep podcast feed is Australia’s home for quality investigative journalism, and true crime stories.”