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Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs - Season 1 - Episode 04
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TVTranscript
00:01When shoplifters strike...
00:03Police emergency.
00:05Our security guards have been stabbed in the leg.
00:07Oh, he smashed up a load of things.
00:10Grabbed our manager and then gone.
00:12The offending behaviour is getting out of control.
00:14When he was arrested, he was in possession of a lock knife.
00:18Can they be caught?
00:20I believe that you've been shoplifting this morning.
00:22So just stand up for me.
00:25It's really shocking how prison did got him.
00:28From the lone wolves...
00:31To organised crime gangs.
00:33They still almost order high-value items
00:36to get the biggest bang for their buck.
00:38Anyone up here?
00:39Aha! Bingo!
00:41Cigarettes.
00:44These guys had extensive criminal histories across Europe.
00:48This series follows the police forces...
00:50Let's go and get some results.
00:52...on the hunt...
00:53Stop, plain clothes, please, plain clothes, please.
00:55Stop, stop, you're under arrest for that.
00:56Do you know why we have stopped you?
00:59...attempting to protect the victims...
01:01Yes, yes.
01:02Jeff, you all right, mate?
01:03What's the mask of an ETA-wise?
01:04He wants five minutes.
01:05All that's unacceptable.
01:07This is life-threatening.
01:08...and bring down the criminals.
01:10Shoplifting is a crime.
01:11We want to bring offenders to justice,
01:12and that is not easy.
01:14Go to arrest.
01:15Go to arrest.
01:16Go to arrest.
01:17Go to arrest.
01:26T-RBoy52
01:55The
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32:26He's just been at this window here with his legs dangling out.
32:31He's gone back inside now.
32:33I'm not shouting through a window at you with you.
32:35What the fuck are you doing?
32:37Open the door.
32:40Operation Vulture have located Ben, suspected of stealing eight times from the same supermarket.
32:46He's now also facing eviction for breaking his housing conditions.
32:51Can you come and open the door and I can come and talk to you?
32:53I don't want to talk to you.
32:53Well, you're going to have to.
32:54I'm not going to have to.
32:55You do have to because I'm going to change that lock because we should have a key.
32:58Are you going to come and open the door?
33:00I'm fucking, it's all wrong then.
33:01Will you change the lock then for you?
33:02You're fucking blackmailing me right here, fucking.
33:05How is it blackmailing you?
33:06You're blackmailing.
33:07Josh, do you want to fucking tell your ****?
33:09I'm not having this discussion through my window.
33:11Open the door.
33:12I'm not opening the fucking door.
33:13Well, then they're going to change the lock then.
33:15I'm not bothered.
33:16Well, we're coming in then.
33:17We're coming in then.
33:18Right.
33:19Due to Ben's persistent offending against one store, the police need to take him into custody.
33:25The housing association grant them access to the apartment.
33:29He had his legs out of the back one, didn't he?
33:31No, I didn't.
33:32But I got here.
33:33Last chance, come on.
33:35There's police at the back, mate.
33:36I'm not bothered.
33:37Well, you need to come down, otherwise we're going to end up damaging this door.
33:40Well, we'll have to, won't we?
33:41Okay.
33:42Bye.
33:43Stoppa med den.
33:45Hoi!
33:57Stopp.
33:57Eh.
33:59I just don't know.
34:02Yes, I'm good.
34:05Here's your hands.
34:08Get down.
34:11Stand up bud, just listen to my mate, at the minute you're under arrest for shotlifting, all right, do not
34:21have to say anything but it may on your defence, do not mention one question, something you do say mate,
34:27given an evidence, all right?
34:28Yeah, it would have been the same outcome, whether he'd have come to the door and jumped out the window,
34:36he would have still been arrested, but it went smoothly and now he's in custody.
34:43Fine, you're in, we'll get you on, all right mate, we're going to go through now, follow the van in,
34:59we'll get him booked in and then we'll tidy up the investigation and get him interviewed.
35:06He's been arrested for one offence, it's just an easier process when we get to custody and then he'll be
35:13re-arrested for the further offences, at least seven but it may be more.
35:27Just this way mate.
35:30You all right?
35:33And where was the offence taking place?
35:35At Tesco, on Longridge Road, Ribbleton, Preston.
35:39We've got to do some other enquiries on at least seven other thefts from the same store.
35:48All right, I'm going to authorise your detention to the police station, so then we're going to have to ask
35:53you some questions in a tape recorded interview, all right?
35:58Any jewellery?
35:59No.
35:59No.
36:06You know his jacket?
36:07Yeah, put it on for the time being.
36:09God, no objections to your way.
36:11Are you having any alcohol or drugs today?
36:14I've got a drug.
36:15Have you had?
36:17Everyone in crack.
36:18Everyone in crack.
36:19So this morning?
36:20Yeah.
36:24Police have 24 hours to question Ben and seek charges.
36:29We'll now get him interviewed and hopefully he is commanded to court tomorrow.
36:38So over the 17 shop thefts, you've took over £78,000 worth of goods.
36:45A breakthrough in the nationwide supermarket shop theft.
36:49Just keep your eye on that thought here.
36:53Yes, it seems to be me.
37:13In the case of the Romanian organised shop thieves, key suspect Andre Theodore Cretu was already in prison for regional
37:21shop theft offences.
37:23The time is 12.11 and we're present in the interview room at Cliff Road Police Station.
37:30In October 2024, he was accused of attempting to steal a further £18,000 worth of goods from supermarkets nationwide.
37:38You've got that nerves and you're like, am I going to make sure I'm asking everything?
37:43The success of the case needed his account.
37:47On the 18th of the 12th, where were you?
37:49I don't remember.
37:50I don't remember.
37:52Were you in Brogestone?
37:54I don't remember.
37:55I don't remember.
37:56Did you take anything to the value of £1,091?
38:00I don't remember.
38:01I don't remember.
38:22Because of the amount of offending that's happened, it was going to be a long interview.
38:27So, for the time, I'm going to show you CCO2.
38:29There's a gentleman just there.
38:31I believe that to be you.
38:32Would you agree?
38:37I can't tell.
38:38The image is very dark.
38:41I can't tell.
38:42I'm looking at this a bit and looking at yourself, standing and sitting in front of me.
38:45I would believe that this is you.
38:47You are showing me very little things.
38:54If you can show me something more clear, then I'll admit to what I've done.
39:05So, just keep your eye on that thought here.
39:08Did you see it?
39:09How are you?
39:10How are you?
39:10Yes, I'm sorry.
39:11I should be here on Sunday.
39:13I'm going to talk about this.
39:14I'm going to talk about this.
39:15Yes, it seems to be me, but I don't remember if I've come to buy or what I did.
39:22With Creto acknowledging he was in the CCTV, the investigators at last had a foothold.
39:30These offenses have been committed all around the country.
39:33You should know if you've been to those locations, no matter when the date is,
39:38and if you've been and you've taken anything from any store at any point.
39:49I didn't have great money and I've been living with my wife and my one-and-a-half-year-old
39:56daughter.
39:56I've worked on the black market, because I didn't have the necessary documents to work.
40:19You all look very organized in what you're doing and hiding.
40:23I would say that you're all part of one group and you know what you're doing and your main goal
40:30is to make money.
40:36I don't have any connection with any group, I don't know any group, and I'm not involved in any group.
40:45So over the 17 shop thefts, you've took over £78,000 worth of goods.
40:51Again, how do you explain that?
41:02When he's gone, yeah, it was me.
41:05It was just a sign of relief, and it made me feel like we've got somewhere with this.
41:12The Crown Prosecution Service charged Kretu and his accomplice Elena Gugalan.
41:18Both suspects appeared at Crown Court.
41:21P.C. Hartley was able to secure over 30 shop theft charges for the two suspects.
41:27That is an incredible piece of work, and to have worked with so many police forces and partner agencies
41:32to gather all of that information meant that the suspects didn't just get charged with Humberside offences.
41:37They actually were charged with offences from all over the country, and that is down to his hard work.
41:42For shoplifting offences, Gugalan was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
41:48Gugalan was sentenced to a total of two years and four months, and could be deported on his release.
41:55There's a good sentencing, it's a good outcome for the job.
41:58It shows that if you're going to do such a thing, you're going to get punished for your actions
42:03and receive prison centres for it.
42:29He is very much a prolific offender who's targeted the same store numerous times,
42:34and sometimes uses disguises.
42:37Operation Vulture's most wanted shop thief, Ben, is in the interview room with P.C. Kimberley Dasso.
42:45He faces charges of multiple thefts.
42:47So, before I caution you, I'm going to arrest you for a further seven incidents of shoplifting.
42:53So, you're being interviewed regarding an allegation of eight times shoplifting.
42:56Are you guilty of these offences?
42:58No, I don't.
43:01We've got CCTV footage, which shows a male identified to be yourself,
43:05picking up two cases of corona lagers before running out of the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:12Can you confirm that was you in the footage?
43:14No, I don't.
43:16We've got CCTV showing a male identified to be yourself,
43:20and select eight cheesecake items from the dessert fridge,
43:23and place them down on his trousers before leaving the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:27Can you confirm that that's you in the footage?
43:30No, I don't.
43:32There is CCTV footage available showing a male identified to yourself,
43:35and select numerous grocery items to the value of £86.50
43:39before leaving the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:42Do you want to comment on this?
43:43No, I don't.
43:45I showed him the CCTV footage of him in the shop.
43:49He had no reaction to seeing this footage.
43:52He said no comments at all questions I've asked.
43:54I'll go and review the case, speak to my sergeant,
43:57and we're going to seek a charge for all eight shopliftings.
44:01Ben is charged with eight shop thefts from the same store.
44:05He is kept in custody overnight, until court in the morning.
44:13He has gone to Lancashire Magistrate's Court.
44:17There he was given bail conditions not to enter any Tesco store in Preston,
44:22and then he'll next be seen in court in about seven weeks' time.
44:28He can't just keep going in and out of shops, taking anything he wants.
44:32He has these bail conditions to adhere to, and if he doesn't, then he'll be brought to fourth court.
44:36Operation Vulture's Most Wanted was later convicted of all eight shop thefts.
44:41He was given a 16-week suspended sentence and ordered to undertake a drug rehabilitation programme.
44:53Next week, will officers tackle an armed gang?
44:56When the firearms unit are unavailable, police interceptors nowhere to hide, new next Monday at nine.
45:01And Sharon D. Clark is back as DCI Ellis.
45:04The new drama continues tomorrow and Wednesday at nine.
45:07Stream the series so far now on five.
45:09Next tonight, 999, police hour of duty.
45:12Stay with us.
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