Al Jazeera Investigates

Undercover reporters pose as gangsters with up to a billion dollars of black money that need to be cleaned. They gain remarkable access to members of Africa’s Gold Mafia and film closed door meetings with crime bosses.

South Africa’s most notorious money launderer is known as Mo Dollars. He cleans millions of dollars from the sale of illicit cigarettes through gold. Confidential documents expose an intricate web of shelf companies and fake invoices that hide a multi-million-dollar operation in plain sight.

Enter the Gold Mafia’s headquarters in Dubai, preferred destination of the world’s dirty gold. As the rival mafia gangs compete to launder money for the I-Unit’s undercover team, we learn why gold is the perfect vessel to hide and move criminal wealth.

The net is closing on one of South Africa’s most notorious money launderers. In the final episode, the Gold Mafia boss issues a threat to anyone who breaks the oath of omertà. “What do you think is going to happen?” “They kill you, don't they?” “Exactly,” he replies.