- 11 hours ago
Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs - Season 1 - Episode 02
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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 they believe that you've been shoplifting this morning so just stand
00:22up for me it's really shocking how prison did gotten from the lone wolves to organized crime
00:33gangs they still almost order high-value items to get the biggest bang for their buck
00:43these guys have extensive criminal histories across europe this series follows the police forces let's
00:51go and get some results on the hunt stop plainclothes please plainclothes please stop stop you're under
00:56arrest for death do you know why we have stopped you attempting to protect the victims yes yes you
01:02all right mate what's them last given each day 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
01:13not easy
01:27you
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03:12those doors. He's just awaiting an interview. We're awaiting a solicitor and then we can
03:17do a briefing with that solicitor and get him interviewed. So he was arrested by one
03:26of my colleagues because he was wanted for the theft from shops. He's ran from officers.
03:33Officers have chased him. They've had to parve him upon arrest because he was resisting arrest.
03:38We have parve spray that we're all trained to use. Spray it in the eyes and then when he was
03:45arrested he was in possession of a lock knife which was seized from him. So there just in that officer's
03:53hand, that's the blade they had on him upon arrest. He just appears to be grabbing anything and throwing
04:06it in. Quite a lot of high volume meats it looks like. It could be for a drug habit or
04:14an alcohol habit. We're not too sure. He's gone to the same meat counter here. There's even some
04:24alcohol there. Quite clearly see his face and then he leaves. That's the entrance. So the total value of
04:32everything he's stolen over those four offences is £2,000.
04:40As well as the recent shop thefts, Kenny is also suspected of other anti-social and aggressive behaviour.
04:47Just because I came out, that smashed, I came out and I saw him running. I just didn't get
04:54cleaning this up. Look, there's no brick and he smashed the windows with the machete. I swear
04:59to God it's not me. He's just run off down there. Not sure if he's done that with the machete
05:06or by any
05:06other means. He smashed the window of this property and then he's left. Police have gathered CCTV evidence
05:15showing a confrontation between the suspected shop thief and a man at the address the window was smashed.
05:21So there we go. This is the other suspect that's been interviewed. He has a bat. And then our suspect
05:27in
05:27custody was the one with the machete. And then he's come back with the machete in his pants, brandished it
05:35to the other male.
05:39So we'll interview him for the affray at first. He had a machete on him and that offence.
05:47We'll show him all the evidence we've got for that. And then we'll go on to the theft from shops
05:54and then the
05:55arrest and the fact that he was arrested with an offensive weapon. And we'll ask him about that and see
06:00what 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.
06:36Just before you look off that, just leave it on a second, please.
06:42Operation Vulture is Lancashire Police's task force dedicated to combating shop theft.
06:53We've got a day of action planned in the city centre today.
06:56So we've got a number of plainclothes officers and uniformed officers going round and about,
07:01stop searching all of our known nominals and hopefully getting a few positive results for shoplifting.
07:06Brief the team, just before we tip out, I'll pair everyone up and then they'll have specific areas they'll go
07:12to.
07:13We usually do our days of action a couple of times each month when we get the chance to.
07:17But we don't want to make them structured, we want to surprise the individuals when we're out in town.
07:27And Josh, we have to keep you up.
07:31Is that basically, who is it that we're waiting for here?
07:33Kieran and Carpets. They're just getting a taser, aren't they?
07:36Thank you all for coming today. I thought I'd do a bit of an official bit of a briefing to
07:40go through what we're going to do today in the town centre.
07:42So it's going to be another day of action around shoplifting, stop searches, just being seen and disrupting anyone that
07:49we need to go for.
07:50Right, Jack and Hamza, the plainclothes officers out, if you two can stick together.
07:54It'll be me and Josh, Kieran and Carpets, Jake and Jamie and Seth and Roman.
08:01Your main shops, if you can go into them and just tell the workers in the shop or anyone that
08:06you see what we're doing today.
08:07So go into Boots, TK Marks, all your shops that were there.
08:10Spread the message of what we're doing, see if they can tell us anything.
08:14A lot of you will already know your nominals in city centre anyway.
08:16I'm just having a quick 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.
08:27Maurice, he's out and about. Jane, not shoplifting related, but she might be in town.
08:33Quite a nasty assault that she's wanted for.
08:35George, there's a few jobs for him. If he's in town, he's breaching his CBO.
08:40But yeah, have fun, cause chaos.
08:55One of the first jobs I did when I was a sergeant on Preston with the city centre was,
08:59we had probably about three or four jobs for George and we locked him up, me and Jack.
09:07So that's him entering the store, that.
09:12It looks like he's just getting the items,
09:14and then he's clearly put that other wine bottle or whatever bottle alcohol it was,
09:18on the other part.
09:19And then he's going to go pick up a couple more.
09:21So the report says he's taken three bottles of alcohol, which adds up.
09:25Then he's obviously going to go around the...
09:28..and he looks like he's discarding them here.
09:38Oh, he's getting a bottle of Daniels whisky.
09:45Oh, he's getting them all.
09:51It's not guaranteed he'll be in town,
09:54because he could be offending anywhere else,
09:55but it'd be brilliant to get him in.
09:57There's quite a few jobs out for him, obviously,
09:58and he's a prolific offender, he's well known to us.
10:02Happy days, past all points of payment.
10:06Um, out.
10:29For Kenny, the shop thief arrested with a knife,
10:32police now have only six hours to bring charges
10:36before his custody clock runs out.
10:39Officers prepare to brief the solicitor,
10:41who's been provided for the suspect.
10:45He's being spotted in the street yesterday...
10:48Yep.
10:49..by officers.
10:50They've seen that he's wanted for breach of court order.
10:54Um, however, when they've searched him,
10:56they've found a bladed article on him.
10:59It's like a standing knife, I'll tell you that.
11:01So he's been arrested for that as well.
11:05It's like that your client has smashed a window
11:10at the property.
11:12OK, this is the one.
11:15No.
11:16No.
11:17No.
11:18No.
11:19No.
11:20But there's no brick, isn't it?
11:21He smashed the windows with the machete.
11:23I swear to God it's not me.
11:25Someone else has gone up here before...
11:26He's just ran off down there.
11:28That way!
11:29That way!
11:30That way!
11:30That way!
11:31It'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.
11:43He's got quite a lot of offences.
11:45Yeah?
11:45Yeah.
11:46Anything for afraid and bladed articles?
11:49So he has got an offence for either an offensive weapon or a weapon of some sort.
11:55So he has got previous for that.
11:58Fair enough.
12:00Just back to the afraid.
12:02Yeah.
12:03Have we recovered this machete?
12:06No, we haven't.
12:06We haven't got the machete in our possession.
12:08I can't see that, no.
12:09That'll do me.
12:10Are you ready for him?
12:16Hey mate, my name's Ryan, police officer.
12:19Right, are you okay to go for an interview?
12:21No, no, no.
12:22Right, so what would you need?
12:26What?
12:27What is it you need?
12:28To feel better.
12:29Tablets.
12:30Tablets?
12:31What tablets?
12:33One.
12:34One.
12:35Okay.
12:35Have you spoken to the nurse about it since you've been here?
12:38No, I'll be all right in a few hours.
12:40You'll be all right in a few hours?
12:41Well, what we're doing is we're looking to interview you so we can get this over and
12:45done with, can't we?
12:46We're going 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
12:57to update the custody sergeant and the suspects solicitor and see where we go from there.
13:33In June 2020, Cheshire police were made aware of a prolific gang targeting Asda stores.
13:42You 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, notices that people are watching him, but he just continues.
13:54This is some CCTV that was obtained as part of Operation Socrates.
14:00This footage is from Asda.
14:04It was a very distinct method that 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.
14:22As 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, he'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, would then contact another member who was in the store almost to give the
14:46okay to now provide the distraction to enable them to leave.
14:51The gang was first identified by an intelligence team working for retailers called the NBCS.
14:59Within Cheshire, we're working closely with the National Business Crime Solution to gather intelligence and gather packages of evidence in
15:07cases like this and others to 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 that had a tag on it, a security tag.
15:25He would purposely purchase that on a self-scan till so that the tag wasn't removed.
15:32They would then time each other's movements so that the vendor who had bought the item with the tag would
15:37go, set the alarms off.
15:39He would stand inside the alarm barrier.
15:42He would pretend that he didn't speak English or understand English when approached by security.
15:46The alarm would still be going off.
15:48And in the meantime, his friend, with a trolley full of ink cartridges, would walk out behind him.
15:53They wouldn't know the difference of those items setting the alarm off.
15:57He would walk off.
15:58This guy would then produce his receipt.
15:59He'd be allowed to go on his way.
16:01And they just walked out completely undetected.
16:05Two suspects with suspected links to a Romanian organised crime group were identified by police.
16:12What was different about this investigation was the training.
16:16So, you know, you're watching them train live on CCTV.
16:20You're watching one crime group member be shown how the offences are committed.
16:25They would stand there and watch while the other committed the offence.
16:28And then they would go on and commit their own offending and then bring another crime group member in.
16:36Over the 81 shop thefts, it was approximately £160,000 worth of high value goods,
16:43which included ink cartridges, nappies, perfumes, razors.
16:50The intelligence stated that the reason why ink cartridges were being targeted by this gang is because those cartridges were
16:57being used to transport out of the country to make fake currency.
17:01So that ink really, in essence, wasn't an ink cartridge that was worth £30 making them £10 on the black
17:08market.
17:09It was something that was worth £30 that was using them to make three grand's worth of money for them
17:16for another criminal enterprise.
17:17And that's what told us this was really organised.
17:21Well, thanks.
17:25Well, thanks.
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...
17:59Who's about. Who's about, and then we'll park up and up.
18:13I hope we get some of it today. Yeah.
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. You're 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 an own shoplifter...
18:49I'm not shoplifting, I've just got a bike from the shop.
18:52Right, right, right, listen, listen.
18:53Because I've got sick on my clothes.
18:56Right, listen.
18:57So, I suspect that you might have some stolen property in your bag.
19:01There's another lad in there.
19:05Potentially, 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 in trouble.
19:13Let's have a seat there for us.
19:15That one in the white bag...
19:17Is that what you want, Nick?
19:17Because you've got gloves on, because...
19:20..you've got a bit of...
19:22Not my thing.
19:23Somebody else's.
19:25So this bag's not sick, innit?
19:26We're 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.
19:57At last, a call comes in that one of the main targets,
20:01George, has been seen.
20:06Blue one.
20:07Blue.
20:09Orchard Street, walk into Ward, St George's.
20:15Police in Cheshire close in on the organised crime gang.
20:20We established their identities
20:21through the Romanian attaché,
20:23established who they were and where they were from.
20:26We then located their potential addresses,
20:29and we had to get warrants at addresses
20:30in Oldham and the Birmingham area.
20:55Come on.
20:57Come on.
21:01It's like dodging, isn't it?
21:04Just don't stay where you are, that bit.
21:06Absolutely fine.
21:06Yeah, is he being all right?
21:10Stop.
21:10Plain clothes, please.
21:11Plain clothes, please.
21:11Stop.
21:12Stop.
21:12You're under arrest.
21:13It's all right.
21:14Take his bag off.
21:15Guys.
21:15You do have to stay.
21:16He may have defense.
21:17If you don't mention one question,
21:18so I'm doing it till I try.
21:18Get that on, Joe.
21:19Anything you do, say, maybe give him evidence.
21:20Something in the bag.
21:23Just got him locked up Orchard Street.
21:24Get that van coming, please, mate.
21:26Where's the van?
21:27It's coming now.
21:28It's coming.
21:29Why are you so tired then?
21:31Because you've made it off for me.
21:32Pass that way.
21:32He's doing it again.
21:35Orchard Street.
21:38They've got it.
21:39The lads.
21:41You got anything in that bag?
21:46Right.
21:47It's your property.
21:50Bin it.
21:50If I bin it, and then you say,
21:52nah, I want it.
21:52Don't want it.
21:54It's going to give me a quick putt down
21:56before we sit you in the van.
21:57Come on.
22:05Wednesday.
22:07Oi, oi.
22:09Bin that bag before.
22:11It's not bin in your bag.
22:12It's not my bag.
22:13It's not my bag to bin.
22:14Not taking it, have you?
22:16Oh, he's already got it.
22:17Oh, he's got it.
22:18Oh, he's got it.
22:19Too slow.
22:21He's one of them that was on briefing.
22:23We were just right place, right time,
22:24then, weren't we?
22:26Eyes of an eagle.
22:28You are, sorry?
22:29Eyes of an eagle.
22:31Spots everything.
22:34Let's do it.
22:35He's already on P&C Wanted, so...
22:37Oh, right.
22:39He's under arrest for that.
22:40Yeah.
22:41And then I'll go back to Nick
22:42and just have a log's one.
22:43Good work.
22:45To your medals.
23:10Okay, I'm just letting you know,
23:11I'm authorising your detention.
23:13Secure, preserve evidence,
23:14obtain evidence by question.
23:16Basically, I'm going to interview you, okay?
23:18There's other fences we might have to put to you as well.
23:29He ran off from me last time, so...
23:31Oh, right.
23:32I've let Hamza know,
23:34and we've just gone and just got hold of him
23:36and 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
23:42on our systems locally.
23:47Do you need anything?
23:48That's that buzzer.
23:49I'll see you, Tyler.
23:50I'll see you soon.
23:51I'll get you a blanket, Nick.
24:18Hello, mate.
24:21Right, apparently you refused to come out yourself
24:22to go and see the nurse.
24:25I'll organise that for you
24:26to try and get you sorted.
24:29Right, if you don't want to come out for interview,
24:31you'll get interviewed in here.
24:33The interview's going to happen either way, buddy.
24:35So you've got the option,
24:36you can come into the interview room
24:37and get out yourself for a bit
24:38when 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 okay.
24:51It's coming up to five to three now,
24:54so we're looking at about three and a half hours
24:57left on the 24-hour,
24:59what 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
25:07on the court warrant anyway,
25:09so he's just playing the game
25:10to 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
25:27by officers in the interview room.
25:34Step one, let's go.
25:35Yeah, he's changed his mind
25:36from having the 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
25:43about the offence,
25:44but he should let us know soon.
25:46Peace out, confident.
25:47Peace out.
25:48Peace out.
25:51Peace out.
26:04Peace out.
26:07Peace out.
26:07Peace out.
26:08Peace out.
26:09Peace out.
26:10Peace out.
26:14Peace out.
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 they're in South Wales
26:53down to Newport, Cardiff Bay and Barrie.
26:57This was a vast amount of travel
27:00for the criminality that 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 back
27:39to the individuals involved.
27:41Which allowed DC Matchit to do the most important thing
27:44was 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
28:00at an 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.
28:23We found the credit cards that had been used
28:28in those transactions
28:29again linking those individuals
28:31but the biggest poignant evidence
28:34that 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
28:47and the quantity and amount
28:50that 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.
29:45It's not it.
29:46It's not it.
29:47It's not it.
29:48It's not it.
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 my interview questions, and then go from there.
30:24So this interview will be orderly recorded.
30:27I'm PC-2290. 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 game and control it worth £9.70 and £9.20?
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 £129.99,
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?
31:24Are 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.
32:03See, 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.
32:12All 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?
32:21Yeah, 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're all right?
32:47I'm PCSO Mohamed.
32:48We're just here regarding a 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.
33:02How 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.
33:17But, like, we'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 over there right now.
33:30He's quite public about it.
33:31He's not really.
33:32Yeah, he does.
33:32He's not really public.
33:33He's not the street.
33:34It's the same here.
33:35He just kind of picks up whatever and just leaves.
33:37Yeah, yeah.
33:37He's just looking 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.
33:44Always air fryers.
33:45All right.
33:46All right.
33:46See you.
33:47Bye-bye.
33:47Take care.
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.
34:19That's really technical.
34:21Yeah, really well.
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
34:44no longer there but they've got the still apparently.
34:48Right, okay.
34:49So we haven't got any evidence and potential for the Range one but we've got everything
34:52for the Morrison's CCTV on statement.
34:55Yeah, the nice question.
34:56I think he's an old word.
34:58They've got the statement and with the Range one we can still get a statement but the
35:03guy's on holiday so it'd have to be a phone statement.
35:07Yeah, no worries mate, that's fine.
35:09Did he say when he's back?
35:11Two weeks, one, we'll just do it back.
35:15Yeah, no, he's made that, that's fine.
35:18I'm going to charge George three of them out of the four because we haven't got evidence
35:22for one of them yet and the guy is on holiday for two weeks, he's not seen it so charge
35:26a
35:26man in for that and an IEY for the fourth but we'll get that in postal record.
35:29So, right, 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 on 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 more.
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 and you're telling us that
36:26it's not you.
36:28Yeah.
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
37:13serious punishment.
37:14We went through in detail the investigation, what a conspiracy was, what their role within
37:19that conspiracy was and what evidence we had to prove that.
37:23And each was interviewed over that point.
37:26Then, one of the original gang members was arrested and Cheshire police had one last opportunity.
37:34This interview is being digitally recorded.
37:35I'm Detective Constable Paul Matchett.
37:37I'm based at Norfolk Police Station.
37:38You've been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal with other males.
37:42individuals.
37:43Are you responsible for that offence?
37:45No.
37:46He's not guilty of all of that.
37:48Oh, okay.
37:48This is taken from Asda and Great Bridge in April.
37:51This is the same photograph for you.
37:53Yes.
37:54He confirms it.
37:55Yeah, that's you.
37:56Yeah.
37:56Who's that next to you on the CCT?
37:58She is the individual that didn't get in it.
38:01You don't know that person?
38:02No.
38:03No?
38:03That's not Nikolai Healy?
38:05No.
38:06He doesn't know that.
38:08So, proving a conspiracy is all about proving association and proving knowledge of what was
38:14going on or what they planned to do.
38:17Okay.
38:17And then, from the 18th of June...
38:20The office position, you in here?
38:23CCTV shows Mr. Healy...
38:26No.
38:28...committing offences with Mr. *** and Mr. Moroso.
38:31So, the circle's complete for the offending.
38:34Do you know your name comes from?
38:36I don't know this, guys.
38:39When you have that really strong evidential picture, and when you're able to interview
38:44these offenders with that evidence in front of them, they're left with no option, but
38:49typically 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?
39:09It's not just one mistake, though, is it?
39:12It's multiple thefts.
39:15So, £180,000.
39:18And these lists show that this is organised, not a mistake.
39:25Until the pre-trial 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 pleaded guilty
39:44at 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 their work and the effort
40:14that went into this investigation.
40:17These guys had extensive criminal histories across Europe, so it is clearly they were travelling
40:23and 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.
40:32I don't know.
40:32I don't know.
40:46I can't bear it.
40:53Isn't it deaf?
40:54I'm afternoon hours.
41:00I can't see.
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 someone up there admiring the meat selection
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.
41:56TV at 14.20 on the 29th of June 2025.
42:05There you are.
42:09You then turn back around.
42:14Something's shining in your hand.
42:15What is that?
42:23I'm 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, what is that?
42:35I don't know, but 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.
42:49A police officer picked a knife up, right?
42:52Yeah?
42:52Not on my person.
42:53Whoever they've picked his knife up, I don't know where they've 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 or place a knife wherever they've acquired that knife from.
43:06That is not right.
43:08Okay.
43:09That is not right.
43:09And you know what?
43:10That comes borderline as a legal trying.
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.
43:30The officer, 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 when he got arrested yesterday.
43:47It's quite an implausible thing, considering two police officers had never any 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, but he didn't want to give any further.
43:59That's the explanation.
44:02With only an hour left on his 24-hour custody clock, Kenny was charged with offences, including three shop thefts
44:09and possession of a knife.
44:11He was given a 14-month prison sentence.
44:19And the police interceptors are back, taking 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, brand new tomorrow at 9.
44:32The truth is out there and on 5 this week, don't miss iconic moments with Mulder and Scully, starting with
44:37the first ever episode of The X-Files, next.
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