Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller

Mariana travels roughly 3,000 miles, moving from Africa into the Middle East over challenging terrain, to investigate the role of the illicit oil trade. She aims to reveal how this black‑market fuel sustains terrorist organisations worldwide and its implications for global security.

Terrorist Oil is a television programme presented in the format of a single episode. Classified as an investigative documentary, the show aims to uncover hidden connections within the global energy market. It focuses on the illicit side of oil trade and its implications for security worldwide. The narrative follows Mariana as she embarks on an extensive 3,000‑mile trek that begins in Africa and proceeds to the Middle East. Her objective is to trace the pathways through which black‑market oil is diverted into the hands of terrorist organisations, examining each stage of the supply chain across continents. During the journey, Mariana investigates how the illegal oil market supplies the financial lifeblood of extremist groups. She looks at how stolen or smuggled fuel fuels their operations, providing both revenue and the material needed for attacks, thereby linking the clandestine trade directly to the global threat posed by terrorism. Covering roughly three thousand miles, the episode underscores the vast geographic scope of the problem, moving from African oil fields through transit routes into Middle Eastern markets. By charting this expansive journey, the programme highlights how a single illicit commodity can have worldwide repercussions, sustaining terrorist activities far beyond its points of origin. It paints a clear picture of the interconnectedness between energy fraud and security challenges.