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DATELINE NBC EXCLUSIVE: UNDERCOVER AGENT WHO LED THE INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT FOR JOURNALIST AMANDA LINDHOUT’S KIDNAPPER BREAKS HIS SILENCE

Also: Lindhout Opens Up In New Interview Since 2008 Capture

The Trap Airs Sunday, January 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT 

January 10, 2019 – NBC News’ Kate Snow sits down for an exclusive interview with the undercover agent who spearheaded the international manhunt for former journalist Amanda Lindhout’s kidnapper in an all-new Dateline NBC, entitled The Trap, airing Sunday, January 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT. The agent, known as “A.K.,” referred to the operation as the “Hail Mary play,” saying, “We didn't think it would work, and as it was continuing, we were surprised ourselves.” A.K. played the role of a book agent to lure Lindhout’s kidnapper from Somalia to Canada following the kidnapper’s attempt to sell Amanda back her journals she had written while held in captivity. To watch the exchange, click here.

The one-hour special features an interview with Lindhout, marking her second sit-down interview with Snow since 2014. Lindhout revealed the moment she found out her kidnapper had been arrested, explaining, “I answered the phone and I was home alone and my heart started pounding … I fell to my knees and I started crying. And the next day I woke up and it was my 34th birthday. And on the front page of every newspaper in Canada was his face. A face that I hadn't seen in over five years.” To watch the exchange, click here. 

The Trap features an in-depth, comprehensive look at Lindhout’s journey following her 2008 kidnapping and torture in Somalia, and an exclusive interview with Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Larry Larin, who was in charge of all aspects of the operation. 

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Interview Excerpts:

KATE SNOW: You're telling a kidnapper who you believe was involved in this, really major kidnapping and a lot of crimes, that you're going to help him publish a book?

A.K.: Yes.

KATE SNOW: It sounds like something out of a movie.

A.K.: It does. We always refer to this operation as the Hail Mary play. We didn't think it would work, and as it was continuing, we were surprised ourselves.

KATE SNOW: That's your in.

A.K.: That's our in. We knew we wanted to talk to him, we looked and we thought, "Okay, how are we going to move this forward? How are we going to gather evidence?” Because ultimately that's our goal, gathering the evidence and maybe one day bringing him to justice.

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AMANDA LINDHOUT: I answered the phone and I was home alone and my heart started pounding. And he said, "We've arrested Adam." And I fell to my knees and I started crying. And the next day I woke up and it was my 34th birthday. And on the front page of every newspaper in Canada was his face. A face that I hadn't seen in over five years.

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