A year-long investigation conducted by the BBC has uncovered a disturbing global network involved in the torture of apes, stretching from Indonesia to the United States.
According to the BBC's report, a gang based in Indonesia, known as "sadists," engaged in the torture of monkeys and sold the graphic footage to buyers in the USA, UK, and other countries worldwide.
The gang initially operated on YouTube but later continued their activities in private groups on Telegram.
Law enforcement agencies are currently tracking down the buyers, resulting in numerous arrests already made.
BBC journalists went undercover, infiltrating one of the main Telegram torture groups, where hundreds of individuals gathered to brainstorm extreme torture ideas and commission individuals from Indonesia and other Asian countries to carry out these cruel acts.
The sadists aimed to create customized films that involved the abuse, torture, and sometimes the killing of baby long-tailed macaque monkeys.
Mike McCartney, one of the main distributors of these torture videos in the US, agreed to speak with the BBC about the issue.
Referred to as the "Torture King," McCartney described his initial experience when joining the monkey torture group on Telegram, saying, "They conducted a survey. Do you want to use a hammer? Pliers? Screwdriver? The resulting video was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen."
McCartney, who mentioned having spent time in prison previously, stated, "It's no different from drug money. Just as drug money comes from dirty hands, this money comes from bloody hands."
