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00:00lifting gangs when shoplifters strike
00:11the offending behavior is getting out of control when he was arrested he was in possession of a
00:17lock knife can they be caught okay i believe that you've been shoplifting this morning so just stand
00:22up for me it's really shocking how prayers and did gotten from the lone wolves
00:31to organized crime gangs they still almost order high value items to get the biggest bag for their
00:38buck bingo these guys had extensive criminal histories across europe this series follows
00:49the police forces let's go and get some results on the hunt stop plainclothes please plainclothes
00:55please stop stop you're under arrest do you know why we have stopped you attempting to protect the
01:00victims what's them last given eta wise all that's unacceptable this is life-threatening
01:07and bring down the criminals shoplifting is a crime we want to bring offenders to justice and that is
01:42not easy
02:08what are you for a couple of warrants and a breach call bell i think
02:12you're also under arrest for possession of a knife okay
02:15not mine
02:22yeah
02:24oh is that nice you got it
02:26yeah
02:26two seconds right you're going to sit up yeah
02:32there's a couple of warrants for you mate i think
02:33so just gonna confirm what it is right this is the blade as well go on
02:46kenny is a serial shop thief with a history of violence
02:57he's been held in custody overnight officers have nine hours left to either charge or set him free
03:05ah there we go
03:10so he's in custody just through those doors um he's just awaiting interview we're awaiting the solicitor
03:16um and then we can do a briefing with that solicitor and get him interviewed
03:23so he was arrested by one of my colleagues um because he was wanted for the theft from shops
03:31he's ran from officers officers have chased him uh they've had to par for him upon arrest because he
03:37was resisting arrest we have parva spray that we're all trained to use spray it in the eyes
03:43and then when he was arrested he was in possession of a lock knife um which was seized from him
03:51so there just in that officer's hand that's the blade that he had on him upon arrest
04:03he just appears to be grabbing anything and throwing it in quite a lot of high volume meats it looks
04:09like
04:12it could be for a drug habit or an alcohol habit we're not too sure he's gone to the same
04:18meat counter here
04:23there's even some alcohol there quite clearly see his face and then he leaves that's the entrance
04:30so the total value of everything he's stolen over those four offenses is two thousand pounds
04:40as well as the recent shop thefts kenny is also suspected of other anti-social and aggressive behavior
04:47because because i came out that smashed i came out and i saw him running
04:53i just didn't get cleaning this up look there's no brick and he smashed the windows with the machete
04:58i swear to god it's not me he's just ran off down there not sure if he's done that with
05:05the machete
05:06or by any other means they smashed the window of this property and then he's left
05:18so we've got this is the other suspect that's been interviewed he has a bat
05:25and then our suspect in custody was the one with the machete
05:31and then he's come back with the machete in his pants brandished it to the other male
05:39so we'll interview him for the fray and at first um he had a machete on him in that offense
05:46um we'll
05:47show him all the um evidence we've got for that and then we'll go on to the theft from shops
05:54and then
05:54the arrest and the fact that he was arrested with an offensive weapon and we'll ask him about that
05:59and see what he says really
06:03an organized crime gang steal more than 160 000 pounds of goods from uk supermarkets
06:10these are real criminal organizations these are people who are doing this to fund a criminal lifestyle
06:35so
06:36just leave it on a second please
06:39yes the last three pieces of intel suggests he's dealing operation vulture is lancashire
06:44police's task force dedicated to combating shop theft
06:54we've got a day of action planned in the city center today so we've got a number of plain closed
06:57officers and your uniformed officers going around and about stop searching all of our known nominals
07:03and uh hopefully getting a few positive results for shoplifting
07:06uh brief the team uh just before we tip out or pair everyone up um and then they'll have specific
07:11areas they'll go to uh we usually do our days of action a couple of times each month when we
07:16get
07:16the chance to uh but we don't want to make them structured we want to surprise the individuals when
07:31we're out in town
07:31that basically who is it we're waiting for you kieran and carpets they're just getting a taser aren't they
07:36thank you all for coming today i thought do a bit of an official bit of a briefing to
07:40go through what we're going to do today in the town center so it's going to be another day of
07:43action
07:43um around shoplifting stop searches uh just being seen and disrupting anyone that we need to go for
07:50right jack and hamza the plain clothes officers out if you two can stick together it'll be me and josh
07:56kieran and carpets uh jake and jamie and seth and rumen your main shops if you can go into them
08:02and
08:03just tell the the workers in the shop or anyone that you see what we're doing today so go into
08:07boots
08:08tk maxx all your shops that were there spread the message with what we're doing see if they can tell
08:12us anything um a lot of you will already know your nominals in city center anyway i'm just having a
08:17quick look here on centurion to see if there's any notes about anyone else being wanted
08:23the team are targeting the most serious repeat offenders
08:27morris he's out and about jane it's not shoplifting related but she might be in town
08:32quite a nasty assault that she's wanted for george there's a few jobs for him if he's in town he's
08:38breaching his cbo uh but yeah have fun cause chaos
08:54one of the first jobs i did when i was a sergeant on preston uh with the city center was
08:59we had
09:00probably about three or four jobs for george um and we locked him up me and jack
09:07well that's him entering the store that
09:12it looks like he's just getting the items and then he's clearly put that other wine bottle or whatever
09:16bottle alcohol it was on the other part and then he's going to go pick up a couple more so
09:21the
09:21report says he's picked he's taking three bottles of alcohol which adds up then he's obviously going to go
09:26around the uh it looks like he's discarding them here
09:38oh he's getting a bottle of jack daniel's whiskey
09:45oh he's getting them all
09:51it's not guaranteed he'll be in town because he could be offending anywhere else but it'd be brilliant
09:56to get him in there's quite a few jobs out for him obviously and he's a prolific offender he's well
10:00known to us happy days past all points of payment uh out
10:29for kenny the shop thief arrested with a knife
10:33police now have only six hours to bring charges before his custody clock runs out
10:39officers prepare to brief the solicitor who's been provided for the suspect
10:45he's being spotted in the street yesterday by officers they've seen that he's wanted for
10:52breach of court order um however when they've searched and they've found a
10:57bladed article on it it's like a standing knife i'll show you that so he's been arrested for that as
11:03well it's arrived that your client has smashed a window at the property
11:11and this is the one
11:16no no no no no no no no no no no no no but there's no brick and he smashed
11:22the windows with the machete
11:23i swear to god it's not me
11:24someone else has gone looking for who he's just run off down there
11:28that way that way down there it's not me
11:32the other male was in possession of a bat
11:36you can see the shiny thing at the top
11:40his pnc prints are 30 some of pages long he's got quite a lot of offenses yeah yeah
11:46anything for afraid and blood articles so he has got an offense for either an offensive weapon or
11:53a weapon of some sort because he has got previous for that
11:58fair enough um just back to the afraid yeah
12:02as we recover this machete
12:05no we haven't we haven't got the machete in our possession
12:09that'll do me
12:10you ready for him
12:16hi mate my name's i'm police officer
12:19well are you okay to go for interview
12:21no no no right so what what would you need
12:26what what is it you need
12:30tablets what tablets
12:35okay have you spoken to the nurse about it since you've been here
12:37you'll be all right in a few hours well what we're doing is we're looking to interview you so
12:43we can get this over and done with can't we
12:47we want to chat with the custody sergeant all right and we'll see where we go
12:51he is not keen on coming out to interview so what i'm going to do is i'm just going to
12:57update
12:57the custody sergeant and the um and the suspects uh solicitor and see where we go from there
13:33in june 2020
13:36Cheshire police were made aware of a prolific gang
13:38targeting Asda stores.
13:41You can see, can't you, just how brazen they are?
13:44This individual we're following here,
13:46he looked at the camera several times,
13:49notices that people are watching him, but he just continues.
13:54This is some CCTV that was obtained
13:57as part of Operation Socrates.
14:00This footage is from Asda.
14:04It was a very distinct method
14:07that was used by the group in order to steal.
14:11This CCTV effectively shows their modus operandi.
14:14It shows them stealing bulk items.
14:17He's choosing large bulks of toiletries.
14:19He'll go on to choose ink cartridges.
14:22So as you can see there, the shopping bag's pretty full.
14:24It's a bag for life, which we saw throughout the conspiracy.
14:27When he's happy and he's satisfied,
14:29he's filled that bag now full of toiletries.
14:32He tries to disguise it as groceries.
14:34On this occasion, he's filling it with, looks like, spinach.
14:38The individuals, after concealing the items,
14:41would then contact another member who was in the store,
14:45almost to give the okay,
14:47to now provide the distraction to enable them to leave.
14:51The gang was first identified by an intelligence team
14:55working for retailers called the NBCS.
14:59Within Cheshire, we're working closely
15:01with the National Business Crime Solution
15:02to gather intelligence and gather packages of evidence
15:06in cases like this and others
15:09to target offenders operating across the country.
15:12They were using a really sophisticated MO.
15:15So what this was is what we call a distraction MO.
15:18So they would both come in separately.
15:20One of them would go and select an item
15:22that had a tag on it, a security tag.
15:25He would purposely purchase that on a self-scan till
15:29so that the tag wasn't removed.
15:32They would then time each other's movements
15:34so that the vendor who had bought the item with the tag
15:37would go, set the alarms off.
15:39He would stand inside the alarm barrier.
15:42He would pretend that he didn't speak English
15:44or understand English when approached by security.
15:46The alarm would still be going off
15:48and in the meantime, his friend,
15:50with a trolley full of ink cartridges,
15:52would walk out behind him.
15:53They wouldn't know the difference
15:55of those items setting the alarm off.
15:57He would walk off.
15:58This guy would then produce his receipt.
16:00He'd be allowed to go on his way
16:01and they just walked out completely undetected.
16:05Two suspects,
16:06with suspected links to a Romanian-organized crime group,
16:10were identified by police.
16:12What was different about this investigation
16:14was the training.
16:16So, you know, you're watching them train live on CCTV.
16:20You're watching one crime group member
16:22be shown how the offences are committed.
16:25They could stand there and watch
16:26while the other committed the offence.
16:28And then they would go on
16:29and commit their own offending
16:31and then bring another crime group member in.
16:36Over the 81 shop thefts,
16:39it was approximately £160,000 worth
16:42of high-value goods,
16:43which included ink cartridges,
16:47nappies, perfumes, razors.
16:50The intelligence stated that the reason
16:53why ink cartridges were being targeted
16:55by this gang
16:55is because those cartridges
16:57were being used to transport
16:58out of the country
16:59to make fake currency.
17:01So that ink really, in essence,
17:04wasn't an ink cartridge
17:05that was worth £30,
17:07making them £10 on the black market.
17:09It was something that was worth £30
17:11that was using them to make
17:12three grand's worth of money for them
17:16for another criminal enterprise.
17:18And that's what told us
17:20this was really organised.
17:21THEY SCREAM
17:24THEY SCREAM
17:25THEY SCREAM
17:54We'll do, because Mark's not going back to me,
17:56we'll see if he's outside Boots.
17:57If not, we'll do a quick leap in the car, see who's about,
18:01and then we'll park up and up.
18:13I think we'll get some of it today.
18:15Yeah.
18:17Yeah, there's loads of new faces.
18:24The hunt for the main suspects
18:26identifies others known to the Operation Vulture team.
18:30Jack has just spotted a male who is known for shoplifting.
18:34He's gone into a shop and then quickly come out without anything.
18:40We're not arresting you.
18:41It's time for a search at the minute.
18:43I'm PC Moose, 517 attached to Preston Police.
18:47Basically, the grounds are that you're a known shoplifter
18:49and you're walking to the shop.
18:50I'm not shoplifting, I've just got a bike from the shop.
18:52Right, right, right, right, listen, listen.
18:53Because I'm going there.
18:54They're sick on my clothes.
18:56Right, listen.
18:57So we...
18:58I suspect that you might have some stolen property in your bag.
19:01There's another lad in there.
19:04Erm...
19:04Potentially, he's friends with him,
19:06so he might be on the graft as well.
19:07So we'll just wait to see.
19:09I don't get any trouble.
19:11I don't get any trouble.
19:12I don't get any trouble.
19:13So have a seat there for us.
19:15Is that one in the white bag?
19:17Is that what you want, then?
19:17Because you've got gloves on,
19:18because, erm, you've got a bit of sick on.
19:22It's not my seat.
19:23Somebody else's.
19:25So this bag's not sick, innit?
19:26It's a boy in that one, yes.
19:30Sergeant Retty spots two more familiar suspects.
19:33At the minute, you're both going to be detained, all right,
19:35for the purpose of a search on the Section 1 of PACE.
19:39Reason being, you've been pointed out
19:40to be potential shoplifters in M&S.
19:43Just bear with me, let me get this out to you,
19:46and then we'll search you and you can be on your way.
19:47All right.
19:48Just turn round for me.
19:58At last, a call comes in that one of the main targets,
20:01George, has been seen.
20:06Blue one. Blue.
20:09Orchard Street, walking towards St George's.
20:15Police in Cheshire close in on the organized crime gang.
20:20We established their identities through the Romanian attaché.
20:23Established who they were and where they were from.
20:26We then located their potential addresses,
20:29and we have to scoot warrants at addresses in Oldham
20:31and the Birmingham area.
20:32men the U.S.
20:59But there was an unknown point in this and there's even if there's an unknown point in this...
21:02God, Jim's in it still stay where you're all out of it
21:09Stop playing close, please playing close, please stop stop you're under arrest
21:13You're back all right take his bag all right you do have to stay in my own defense
21:17We do mention one question something which I try to get down anything you do say maybe given evidence
21:22Just got him locked up orchard street get that van coming please, mate. Where's the van? It's coming now. It's
21:28coming
21:29Why are they so tight then did you made off for me and pass always do it again
21:38They've got it the lads you got anything in that bag
21:48It's your property if I've been here and then you say now I want it
21:54It's gonna give me a quick pat down before we sit you in the van
22:11It's not my bag it's not my bag to be taken out yet. Oh, he's already got it. Oh, he's
22:17got it. Oh
22:21He's one of them that was on briefing
22:23We were just right place right time though, weren't we?
22:26Eyes of an eagle
22:28Eyes of an eagle
22:31Spots everything
22:34He has to it
22:35He's already on PNC wanted so
22:37Oh, right
22:39He's under arrest for that. Yeah, and then I'll go back to Nick and just have a long one
22:43Good work to your medals
22:45He's
22:47He's
22:47He's
22:59He's
23:03He's
23:10OK, I'm just letting you know, I'm authorising your detention.
23:13Secure and preserve evidence, obtain evidence by question.
23:16Basically, I've got to interview you, OK?
23:18There's other fences we might have to put to you as well.
23:29He ran off from me last time, so...
23:32I've let Hamza know, and we've just gone and just got hold of him and arrested him.
23:37And he was outstanding wanted on P&C for theft as well,
23:40and then there's a couple more, I think, for him as well on our systems locally.
23:47Do you need anything?
23:48That's that buzzer.
23:49I'll see you, Tyler. I'll see you soon.
23:51I'll get you back, OK?
24:18Hello, mate.
24:21Right, apparently you refused to come out yourself to go and see the nurse.
24:25I'll organise that for you to try and get you sorted.
24:29Right, if you don't want to come out for interview, you'll get interviewed in here.
24:33The interview's going to happen either way, buddy.
24:35So you've got the option, you can come into the interview room
24:37and get out yourself for a bit when your solicitor gets back,
24:40or you get interviewed in here.
24:42All right, so have a think about what you want to do
24:44whilst your solicitor's making his way back, OK?
24:51It's coming up to five to three now,
24:54so we're looking at about three and a half hours left on the 24-hour,
24:58what we get in terms of holding people initially in custody.
25:04I reckon he's playing the game
25:05because he knows that he's going to be held under court warrant anyway,
25:09so he's just playing the game to try and frustrate the investigation.
25:18The solicitor's here now, mate.
25:20Have you had a thought about what you're going to do?
25:25Kenny finally agrees to be questioned by officers in the interview room.
25:35He's changed his mind from having an interview with a cell.
25:38I'm not sure why he's changed his mind.
25:39He might want to give an account
25:41or he might want to tell us something about the offence,
25:44but he should let us know soon.
25:46He's gone.
25:47He should be impressed with all of his other stuff.
25:47He's dead.
25:47No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
25:48He's gone.
25:49No, no, no, no.
25:50No, no.
25:50What's this?
25:53He looks like.
26:06I know.
26:19In June 2020, police suspected a foreign criminal gang
26:24was targeting Asda stores throughout the UK.
26:27The pressure built to find and arrest the suspects
26:30before they fled the country.
26:33The United Kingdom has many, many police forces
26:37that operate individually.
26:39So the difficulty can sometimes arise
26:41where these offenders operate across borders,
26:43across counties, across policing areas.
26:46They travel, you know, on the 8th of May, they're in Derby,
26:50and the following day, on the 9th of June,
26:52they're in South Wales, down to Newport, Cardiff Bay and Barrie.
26:56This was a vast...
26:58This was a vast amount of travel for the criminality
27:01that they were committing.
27:04But the gang made one crucial error.
27:06They used their own cars.
27:10What we were able to do is support DC Matchit
27:14from a point of view of AMPR,
27:16because we've got a lot of access to private AMPR,
27:18which covers retail parks,
27:20so we can see where vehicles were going,
27:22and we could help support that and track vehicles.
27:26This group specifically used three separate vehicles
27:30as, effectively, their getaway vehicles.
27:33By utilising automatic number plates recognition,
27:36we were able to link these vehicles
27:38back to the individuals involved.
27:41Which allowed DC Matchit to do the most important thing,
27:45was actually finding where these individuals live.
27:48Police identify three more members of the group
27:51by September 2020.
27:57This is imagery from the warrant
27:59that we executed on the 10th of September,
28:00an address in Oldham.
28:03They were shocked when we arrived at the address.
28:05They believed that they were, you know,
28:08disguising their identity sufficiently
28:10so that they would not be caught.
28:13There was numerous toiletries recovered within the address,
28:16as well as other items, all Gillette, all premium toiletries,
28:21all of expense, but used daily, so sought after.
28:25We found the credit cards that had been used
28:28in those transactions, again, linking those individuals.
28:31But the biggest poignant evidence that we found was receipts.
28:36So we found handwritten receipts
28:38that showed a sale of items,
28:41printer ink cartridges,
28:43that had clearly been sold to a handler.
28:45The price that had been sold to a handler.
28:48And the quantity and amount that had been sold.
28:52This assisted greatly in the investigation.
28:54This showed the Crime Prosecution Service
28:56that, you know, this is bulk shoplifting.
28:59It's not just one or two items.
29:02When the decision was made by myself
29:05to authorise charge of all six suspects
29:08in relation to conspiracy to steal,
29:10what we then have to consider is,
29:13for trial, how are we going to present this case?
29:16Once the suspects had been arrested,
29:20that, for me, is when the real work starts.
29:45What was so difficult that would have been
29:47to fulfill, or do do do do do do do do do do?
29:49The internet might be in charge
29:49how are we going to do do capaz?
29:50And we're doing it tomorrow.
29:51How are we going to get arrested?
29:52No, no, we're going to get arrested
29:52and get arrested as COVID-19.
29:52What's up there?
29:59So, four shoplifters and then, I think, a common assault as well.
30:03So, I just need to look at all the cases, link them to the case,
30:07make sure everything's updated on the case,
30:09just prepare mine to the questions and then go from there.
30:24So, this interview will be orderly recorded.
30:27I'm PC2290. Are we in custody?
30:31Are you guilty of theft from Curry's on the 12th of May?
30:36Explain to me what happened on that day.
30:39Why did you enter the store at 1.48pm?
30:43Did you take your gaming controller worth £9.99?
30:48Are you guilty of theft from guard doors on the 12th of June 2021?
30:52Did you steal the orange and black jackets amounting to £365?
30:57So, you've been further arrested for theft and common assault,
31:00which occurred on the range,
31:02where you allegedly stole an air fryer amounting to £29.99,
31:08and you assaulted a staff member.
31:10So, are you guilty of theft from the range on the 5th of April 2025?
31:14Are you guilty of common assault on the 5th of April 2025?
31:17Were you challenged when you left the store?
31:20What happened when you were challenged?
31:22What happened when you were challenged?
31:23Are you guilty of theft from Morrisons on the 25th of June?
31:28Explain to me what happened on the day.
31:31What items did you steal?
31:34Did you take three bottles of alcohol?
31:43Just leave me shoes.
31:47Officers will need to prove the thefts
31:49to secure charges with the Crown Prosecution Service.
32:03I think that's him.
32:06OK, I got the steal.
32:08You're probably not going to get the footage, that's fine,
32:10but we got the CCTV steal.
32:11All right, that's fine.
32:13As long as you've got the statement,
32:15that's what you need more, isn't it?
32:16Yeah, I need a statement.
32:20Ready? Yeah, we're ready to go.
32:22All right, let's go.
32:24I sent out PCSO Mohamed and PCSO Aaron
32:27to get statements from some of these shops,
32:29as well as CCTV footage.
32:45Hiya, you all right?
32:47I'm PCSO Mohamed.
32:48We're just here regarding shoplifting.
32:51It was quite a while ago.
32:52It was April.
32:53OK.
32:54There's a suspect that we're just pretty much
32:55trying to get a lot of evidence on at the moment.
32:57OK.
32:58He shoplifted here during April time.
33:00OK.
33:02How far back does the CCTV be?
33:0428 days.
33:0428 days.
33:05So there won't be no CCTV at all.
33:08Was it Saturday?
33:10Yeah.
33:10Was it an air fryer?
33:11Air fryer, yes.
33:12I think he got assaulted.
33:13I know exactly which incident it was.
33:15Yeah.
33:16Were you in that day?
33:16It was.
33:17We've had loads of issues with him over the past.
33:20Yeah, yeah.
33:20We've all been reported as well.
33:22Yeah.
33:23I mean, it's not just yourself.
33:24I'm pretty sure I think there's multiple stores around here
33:26that are getting problems with him now, so...
33:27Yeah.
33:28We're just looking into him more further right now.
33:30He's quite public about it.
33:31He's not really.
33:32Yeah, he just...
33:32Yeah.
33:33He's not really public.
33:33He's not discreet.
33:34It's the same here.
33:35He just kind of picks up whatever and just leaves.
33:37Yeah, yeah.
33:37He's just walking right now and just pick something in the front.
33:39What did you take from here, do you know?
33:41Air fryers all the time.
33:42Just air fryers?
33:42Air fryers.
33:43Always air fryers.
33:45All right.
33:46All right, see you.
33:47Bye-bye.
33:49There are some cases, you know, there's been multiple shoplifts that happen and sometimes
33:54we just can't get the CCTV or we struggle to get the CCTV and just sometimes the suspectors
33:59end up walking away.
34:01But this is really important to why we do get statements because as much as we won't
34:06have the footage, for example, statements help match up the evidence.
34:12The last remaining chance of a witness statement to bolster the case is from a Morrison's employee.
34:32Quick one, have you got the two statements and footage for the jobs?
34:38Yeah, I have the Morrison's one, the rage one, the guys on holiday and the footage is
34:44longer there but they've got the still apparently.
34:48Right, okay, so we haven't got any evidence and potentially for the range one but we've
34:51got everything for the Morrison's CCTV on statement.
34:55Yeah, the nice question, sir, I think he's an old word, they've got the statement and
35:00with the range one we can still get a statement but the guy's on holiday so it'd have to be
35:04a phone statement.
35:07Yeah, no worries mate, that's fine.
35:09Did he say when he's back?
35:17I'm going to charge George three of them out of the four because we haven't got evidence
35:22for one of them yet so, and the guy is on holiday for two weeks, he's not seen it so,
35:26charge a man in for that and an IEI for the fourth but we'll get that in postal record.
35:30Right, perfect.
35:31So, keep that job anyway.
35:32Brilliant.
35:33How are we going?
35:33Great work.
35:34Good day.
35:36I think for me and like Daphne said the team, we prefer doing days like today when we get
35:41the chance because you're not reacting to jobs, you're proactively looking to stop people
35:45and getting involved in old fashion policing isn't it?
35:48On the ground, everyone out and about, grabbing all the people, locking them up and being seen.
35:53So, yeah, I think we definitely love doing this kind of stuff.
35:55Should be doing it well.
36:02George pleaded guilty to three shop thefts and breach of a suspended sentence and went
36:07to prison for three months.
36:13Can interviewing the shop thief caught with the knife lead to a breakthrough?
36:18That image is very clear.
36:20It clearly shows you taking items and walking away from the shop.
36:25And you're telling us that's not you?
36:28Yeah.
36:28That's it.
36:34Wow.
36:40That's it.
37:00In September 2020, four members of the gang gave mostly no comment interviews.
37:07This made it harder to prove a conspiracy to steal charge, an offence that brings much more serious punishment.
37:14We went through in detail the investigation, what a conspiracy was, what their role within that conspiracy was,
37:20and what evidence we had to prove that. And each was interviewed over that point.
37:26Then one of the original gang members was arrested, and Cheshire Police had one last opportunity.
37:33This interview is being digitally recorded. I'm Detective Constable Paul Magic,
37:37and I'm based at Norfolk Police Station.
37:38You've been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal with other males.
37:43Are you responsible for that offence?
37:45No. He's not guilty. Oh, okay.
37:48This is taken from Asda and Great Bridge in April.
37:51Yes. Is that you? Yes.
37:54He confirmed this. Yeah, that's you. Yeah.
37:56Who's that next to you on the CCT?
38:01You don't know that person? No. No.
38:03That's not Nikolai Ely? No, Nikolai Ely. No, Nikolai Ely.
38:06He doesn't know that.
38:08So proving a conspiracy is all about proving association and proving knowledge of what was going on,
38:15or what they planned to do. Okay.
38:27Committing offences with Mr and Mr Moroz.
38:31So the circle's complete for the offending.
38:34You don't know your Nikolai Ely?
38:36I don't know this, guys.
38:39When you have that really strong evidential picture,
38:43and when you're able to interview these offenders with that evidence in front of them,
38:48they're left with no option but typically to admit to what they've done.
38:53Why, then, are you on CCTV?
38:56All different locations dealing with these people.
39:00Is there anything you want to say?
39:01I made a mistake.
39:09It's not just one mistake, though, is it?
39:11I made a mistake.
39:13Multiple thefts.
39:14So £180,000.
39:18And these lists show that this is organised, not a mistake.
39:25Until the pretrial hearing, all six continued to deny conspiracy to Steele.
39:32I felt extremely confident that we had built an effective and strong prosecution case.
39:38I believe that this was evidenced by the fact that all six defendants thereafter
39:43pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
39:47Each of the six gang members received the same 42-month prison sentence.
39:52A charge of conspiracy meant that no matter whether they were involved from the outset
39:58or joined quite late, they were all held accountable for their offending.
40:03It was a sentence that I was happy reflected the criminality that they were committing.
40:07It was a sentence I was satisfied with.
40:10It was a sentence that I thought, you know, was a good result for the work
40:13and the effort that went into this investigation.
40:17These guys had extensive criminal histories across Europe,
40:21so it is clearly they were travelling and this was a way of life for them.
40:25The UK was just the next country on their list to target.
40:29That's the scary thing when you look at this.
40:58And the fact that they were dead, they were never passed away.
41:03So, you've been interviewed under suspicion of a fray
41:07and four times theft from shops
41:10and then possession of an offensive weapon, OK?
41:13What did you take?
41:15What do you mean?
41:16What did you take from the shop?
41:18What shop?
41:19Chorley. Tesco Express, Chorley Road.
41:22What is that?
41:23In Chorley.
41:25I don't know where Chorley Road is.
41:27OK.
41:28All right, so, this one is on the 20th.
41:31Yeah.
41:32There's a case, there's someone up there
41:34admiring the meat selection.
41:36Yeah.
41:36With a bag of the knife.
41:40That image is very clear.
41:42It clearly shows you taking items and walking away from the shop.
41:46And you're telling us that's not you?
41:49Yeah.
41:51OK.
41:53So, I'm just showing you some CCTV.
41:56at 14.20 on the 29th of June 2025.
42:05There we are.
42:09You then turn back around.
42:14Something's shining in your hand.
42:15What is that?
42:19Never seen that in my life.
42:22OK.
42:23I'm more looking at the pink item there, the pink mental item.
42:28Can you see that in your hat?
42:30But why did you put something in my hat?
42:33Right.
42:34What is that?
42:36Well, I don't know.
42:36But it's placed something in my hat, obviously.
42:38There's nothing found on my person.
42:40Nothing found on my person in the search.
42:42Because all they had on, yeah, was a pair of shorts, right?
42:45There's nothing found on my person by any police officer.
42:49Right.
42:49That a police officer picked a knife up, right?
42:52Yeah?
42:52Not on my person.
42:53Wherever they've picked his knife up,
42:55I don't know where he's got it from.
42:57And placed it in my hat and took a picture of it.
43:00Yeah?
43:00That is not right for them to do.
43:02To pick a knife up or place a knife wherever they've acquired that knife from.
43:06That is not right.
43:08OK.
43:09That is not right.
43:09And you know what?
43:10That comes as borderline as a legal fan.
43:12I think that looks like...
43:15How can they place a knife in my hat?
43:21So, he stated that the theft from shops are not him.
43:25We've shown him clear CCTV of his face.
43:27However, he states it's not him.
43:28We've warned him that, obviously, we've got CCTV.
43:32Adamant it's not him.
43:34We've also asked him about the affray.
43:36He said that's not him.
43:38So, he basically denied all offences.
43:40He's also said that a police officer has put a knife in his hat
43:44when he got arrested yesterday.
43:47It's quite an implausible thing,
43:48considering two police officers had never more videos on.
43:52But that's the story stuck to.
43:54That's the story stuck to an intimate.
43:55He did get questioned on it, tested on it,
43:58but he didn't want to give any further explanation.
44:02With only an hour left on his 24-hour custody clock,
44:06Kenny was charged with offences,
44:08including three shop thefts and possession of a knife.
44:11He was given a 14-month prison sentence.
44:19And the police interceptors are back,
44:21taking down the shoplifting gangs next Monday at 9.
44:24Can a new discovery finally shed light on why Stonehenge was built?
44:28Jason Watkins uncovers secrets of the new stone,
44:31brand new tomorrow at 9.
44:32The truth is out there,
44:33and on 5 this week,
44:34don't miss iconic moments with Mulder and Scully,
44:37starting with the first ever episode of The X-Files,
44:39next.
44:40The X-Files and Scully
44:44You
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