Sex, Drugs & Money Laundering

From 2018 to 2024, I was immersed in the gay escort scene in London. There, I was unknowingly used as a "mule" in money laundering operations in one of the world's largest financial crime hubs. The gay escort scene in the UK, populated by immigrants like myself, is a fertile ground for large money laundering schemes, masked by online dating platforms and chemsex (sex and drugs). Infiltrated as clients, landlords, escorts, and traffickers, criminals exploit the vulnerability of sex workers. The mistaken belief that the activity is illegal adds to the stigma, ignorance of civil rights, instability with housing and workplaces, language barriers, and the widespread presence of drugs, all of which amplify the threat of legal troubles and social disrepute. The combination of these forces makes the confusion profitable for the criminals, who intensify the misunderstandings and use the sector as a cog in their business. The use of violence—psychological, moral, and physical—is part of the game. This book offers a view of this scene from my perspective as a mule and, later, as a target of organised crime. It is composed of independent yet interconnected episodes. The first part (2018-2022) unveils stories, characters, and strategies used by the criminals, illustrating the landscape of gay male prostitution in London. The second part (2023-2024) addresses my transition from mule to target, the violence involved, and how money laundering schemes are built through forgeries and exploitation.