A+E Networks Asia Preps Four Crime + Investigation Asia Specials

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA: A+E Networks Asia is producing four original Crime + Investigation Asia specials as part of the monthly anthology series.

The latest installment of the long-running series investigates infamous criminal cases that shook Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The move to produce the specials comes on the heels of the success of Crime + Investigation in Singapore, which was the number one English factual-entertainment channel in the people 15-plus demographic last month.

Three of the four new episodes focus on Indonesia, utilizing dramatic reenactments and real-life interviews. The Indonesian episodes feature some of the country’s prominent actors such as Ario Bayu, Fauzi Baadilla, Donny Alamsyah and Samuel Rizal, with support from the Indonesian Police, including Krishna Murti, SIK, M.Si, the director of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police crime and investigation department.

The first episode, “Cleansing Kalijodo,” will air on July 30. It investigates a gang-controlled slum that erupts into violence when the brother of one of the gang leaders is killed. The second episode, “Drug Runner Lover,” will air on August 27 and sees police investigate a complicated drug ring with links to China and a love triangle. Episode three, “The Mafia Manager,” is set to air on September 24 and puts a spotlight on a phone deception scam that crosses international lines.

The fourth episode, “The Cult of the Black Jesus,” focuses on Steven Tari, a notorious cult leader in Papua New Guinea who was accused of human sacrifice and cannibalism. He claimed to be the Messiah and was later convicted of rape. The premiere date will be announced at a later time.

“CI is among the top networks in Asia dedicated to the fascinating world of true crime,” said Michele Schofield, the senior VP of programming and production at A+E Networks Asia. “This new installment of Crime + Investigation Asia is testament to our continued commitment to being the leader in investigating and uncovering the true-crime stories that shook Asia and made headlines.”