A year-long British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) investigation exposed the global network of sadistic monkey torture.

The Dark Online Community of Violators

Hundreds of people gather in torture rings to share their extremely sadistic ideas and pay Indonesians and other Asians to carry them out. Indonesians are paid by hundreds of customers from the U.S., UK, and other parts of the world to torture and kill baby long-tailed macaques. Their goal is to create custom-made films featuring the abuse, torture, and killing of baby monkeys.

BBC journalists went undercover in one of the main torture groups in Telegram to track down the torturers in Indonesia, and the distributors in the U.S. They also participated in bringing justice to the long-tailed macaques by gaining access to an international law enforcement program.

Almost 20 people are being investigated globally, including three women from the UK who were already apprehended last year but were released under investigation. Another one is a man from Oregon who was prosecuted last week.

Mike McCartney is one of the key video distributors in the U.S. with the screen name "The Torture King." From being a motorcycle gang member, he ran Telegram groups where hardcore torture enthusiasts distribute the videos. He said the monkey torture world is no different from the illegal drug industry. BBC also identified two other suspects, namely Stacey Storey, with the screen name "Sadistic," and a ringleader called "Mr. Ape," who is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Mike McCartney, "Mr. Ape," and Stacey Storey are among the five critical targets in the ongoing investigation by the DHS. Although they are yet to be charged, they can be prosecuted up to seven years in prison based on the gathered evidence.

The torture ring started on YouTube until it moved to private groups on the Telegram messaging app. The videos of monkey torture are still available on some Telegram groups. Some are also accessible on Facebook, where dozens of groups with over 1,000 members share extremely sadistic content.

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What is a Long-Tailed Macaque?

Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) refers to a species of primate native to Southeast Asian countries. Also known as crab-eating macaques, they can thrive in ecologically diverse habitats such as primary, coastal, and disturbed forests. Among other non-human primates, these animals are considered unique due to their ability to demonstrate learned or cultural behavior.

Humans benefit from long-tailed macaques in various ways. They are important members of ecosystems and have the potential to serve as important agents in regenerating tropical rainforests. In their natural habitat, these animals perform their ecological role as seed planters of crops important in plant conservation.

Unfortunately, long-tailed macaques are particularly threatened by illegal trade. Not only are they hunted for food in some communities, but they are the preferred animal in research studies involving biomedicine and drug safety because of their genome sequence and physiology that closely resembles that of humans.

 

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