- 2 days ago
Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs S01E04 (16th March 2026)
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00:01When shoplifters strike...
00:03Police emergency.
00:05Our security guard's just been stabbed in the leg.
00:07Oh.
00:08He 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?
00:20OK, I believe that you've been shoplifting this morning.
00:22So just stand up for me.
00:25It's really shocking how Brazen 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? Aha! 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, plainclothes, please, plainclothes, please.
00:55Stop, stop, you're under arrest for theft.
00:56Do you know why we have stopped you?
00:59...attempting to protect the victims...
01:01Jeff, Jeff, you all right, mate?
01:03What's M-wise given, ETA-wise?
01:04He wants five minutes.
01:05I thought that's unacceptable.
01:06This is life-threatening.
01:08...and bring down the criminals.
01:10Shoplifting is a crime.
01:11We want to bring offenders to justice, and that is not easy.
01:14You're under arrest.
01:25You're under arrest.
01:45...and you now.
01:45Too much Messies.
01:45Christmas is a crime.
01:45Hm!
01:56The
03:02Right, pal, I'm not wanted because I've got open court appearance.
03:06For when?
03:07Yeah.
03:08Wanted from a couple of weeks ago.
03:09I got nicked and I got out of one court.
03:10I've been pulled every single day for this.
03:12Yeah, that's what I said.
03:13Every single day I get pulled to this shit.
03:15I believe it's currently wanted for about five.
03:19You're what?
03:21Five?
03:22Right.
03:24Right, at this minute of time.
03:25All right.
03:26Who can we beg on then?
03:27I'll take that off you, all right?
03:28You're being placed under arrest for theft.
03:30What for?
03:32What, what theft?
03:32I'll explain it all to you.
03:34You don't have to say anything, but it may on your defence if you don't mention when questioned.
03:38No.
03:39Would you lay right in court?
03:40Oh, yes, I did.
03:41Anything you do say, maybe give it a defense.
03:44All right.
03:44If it doesn't robbery, yeah.
03:46Right, and you're further under arrest for robbery.
03:49Wow.
03:49Maybe.
03:50Robbery.
03:51Shutting absolute shit, mate.
03:54A robbery accusation in shop thefts means threats or violence may have been used.
03:59It can mean years in prison.
04:02Just watch red when you get in there, pal.
04:19Michael has been detained overnight.
04:21He can be held for 24 hours.
04:24Police must then either charge or release him.
04:39Hey, we're all right.
04:41Is there a reason you won't get up?
04:45What?
04:45Are you refusing to speak to us?
04:48Are you well?
04:49Are you okay?
04:50Do you need any medical attention?
04:51Well, yeah, I've been asking for the nurse since 1am this month since I come in.
04:56Right.
04:56Because I'm ill.
04:58What's up with you?
04:58Why are you ill?
04:59Because I'm withdrawing.
05:00I can't be...
05:01Where are you coming down from?
05:03I haven't worked.
05:14You're saying he's withdrawing.
05:16He's not very well.
05:16That's right.
05:17He refused to come over for the medic.
05:18Right, okay.
05:19So he has had the opportunity to speak to the medic.
05:21He has had the opportunity.
05:23We went to his cell and he just refused.
05:30To build a case, officers examine evidence from the suspect's two-week crime spree.
05:40I've got five investigations here.
05:44So we've got two that have happened on the 16th, both at the same place but at different times.
05:50Then we've got the 14th.
05:52Yeah.
05:5411th is the same co-op.
05:56A lot of them all at the same place and he's kind of gone in on multiple occasions.
06:01He knows the store.
06:03Yeah.
06:03He knows what he wants and how he's going to go about it.
06:07Yeah.
06:08Is that him Adidas backpack?
06:11Yes.
06:11It's very obviously him as well.
06:12Yeah.
06:13It just shows you how brazen they are there as well.
06:15No attempt to hide his identity.
06:20He's just tucked them off that shelf right in front of the staff members.
06:22He's not bothered at all.
06:23He's just not bothered at all.
06:24Is he?
06:26Robbery from the 18th.
06:29That's our chap there.
06:31He's been confronted by shop owner.
06:33He's just taking a swing at this chap.
06:46And he just carries on.
06:49Not a care in the world.
07:00In order to make his escapees, being violent was one of the shop assistants.
07:05It looks like over the last week or so, this chap's been on a bit of a rampage.
07:09In total, Michael is linked to eight shop thefts, one with threat of violence.
07:14So we've only got a short time to deal with it.
07:16So it's important we get hold of all of the evidence and statements as quickly as we can.
07:21He's got the same backpack on in every footage.
07:23We'll just go and have a look if it's the same one.
07:25Because if it is, we'll seize it.
07:31Let's turn the engine off.
07:33Let's turn the engine off.
07:33It's got information the vehicle's involved in the shop theft.
07:37Two Romanian suspects are linked to £80,000 worth of stolen supermarket goods.
07:43This is the biggest case I've worked on today.
08:13This is the biggest case I've worked on today.
08:15He runs at half five and then he's gone back at 21-11.
08:19Officers are preparing to question their suspect arrested for multiple thefts and a robbery.
08:25They're almost halfway through the 24-hour custody clock.
08:30You see him go straight to the same aisle, same backpack.
08:35And he's picked up a whole tray there and just took it.
08:49Michael was carrying a bag when he was arrested.
08:52PC Chris Holton needs to work out if it's a match.
08:57The backpack that he's been booked in with is potentially the same one he's been using to shoplift.
09:06Now the bag's empty, it will have been emptied by staff.
09:10So that's the likely to be what was in it.
09:23It's a different backpack.
09:31It's a different backpack to what we've seen so far on CCTV.
09:35So at present with what we know right now, we've got no necessity to seize it,
09:40but that might always change later on as we review a bit more CCTV.
09:50It's a different bag, black puma bag.
09:52It's not the one that we've seen so far.
09:55You're probably better getting the interview out of the way
09:56and then we can just focus on getting the case right,
09:58cos we've got all the statements we need.
10:00What I really want to do in the interview, though,
10:02is just put it to him cos it's so obviously him.
10:04Yeah, I get that.
10:06It's overwhelming, isn't it?
10:08Yeah, he can't really deny it, can he?
10:18All right. Magic. Thank you, bud.
10:22The solicitor's here.
10:23So Chris is about to go into interview now.
10:26Once he's been interviewed, obviously,
10:28we'll have an idea of what his account is.
10:30And then we'll go through to our sergeant
10:32and make a decision on whether we're going to charge
10:34based on the evidence that we've got and all the CCTV.
10:40Come on. Thank you.
10:43Police have less than 12 hours left
10:45to keep Michael detained without charge.
10:49So he's initially been arrested on suspicion of robbery.
10:53Right.
10:55And then there's a series of shopliftings.
10:58Right.
10:58What are we talking about as far as by you is concerned?
11:02The most is about £250.
11:04Others are in the region of between £40 and £70.
11:09Is it captured on CCTV?
11:11Yes.
11:12And we're going to have it in interview?
11:13Yes.
11:14So I assume a remand...
11:16Yes.
11:17..tomorrow morning?
11:18We'll be seeking a remand.
11:19All right.
11:19If I can have about 15, 20 minutes with you.
11:22Yeah, no problem at all.
11:24Absolutely.
11:25Thank you very much.
11:35Police must put their evidence to Michael
11:37and his solicitor in interview.
11:41But he's still refusing to leave his cell.
11:49I'll close the door, too, a little bit.
11:58If he's fit and well and he's able to be interviewed,
12:02then we'll interview him in his cell.
12:03Our process doesn't stop just because he won't come out.
12:11The End
12:11The End
12:32In 2024, a man was accused for his part
12:36in the theft of over £78,000 of high-value supermarket goods.
12:44Romanian national Andrzej Theodor Kretu was on the radar of OPAL,
12:49the specialist police unit that targets shoplifting OCGs.
12:54Kretu was first brought to our ascension by Morrison's.
12:57As part of that investigation, we looked into Kretu's travel patterns
13:04and where he was going and where he was offending.
13:06We understood that he was travelling up from the Midlands to Humber side.
13:11At that point in time.
13:14It was mostly offending as a lone offender, causing a significant amount of harm.
13:19We were able to identify a vehicle that was linked to Kretu
13:22and add a mark to the vehicle.
13:28On the 30th of August 2024, Kretu's car was stopped by Humberside police.
13:35It was reported as being involved in a local supermarket theft.
13:59It was a really critical point in the investigation that allowed us to kind of really open it up
14:08when we'd identify the vehicle that Kretu was using.
14:10And we'd use our contacts in Humberside to sit up on the vehicle.
14:15In Kretu's car was a woman police were not expecting to find.
14:20Elena Gugulan is also wanted.
14:23When we did find who was in the vehicle, it was obviously Kretu and a passenger who was Gugulan.
14:28So for us, that was a bit of a game-changer.
14:32That was really, really pivotal as a key part of the investigation.
14:37We had liaised with our partners in Morrison's, and upon reviewing the CCTV footage,
14:43they identified that this individual was known to them for previous offences.
14:49But could the police find any stolen goods in the car?
15:18This interview has been recorded in cell 24 at Preston Police Station.
15:23You've had the opportunity to leave your cell.
15:26You've refused to do so.
15:28In the cells, suspected shoplifter Michael is being held for multiple shop thefts and a robbery.
15:36To just uncover your head, it's really important that we do this properly.
15:40Right here is that I'm grappling with your back.
15:42I don't know if you can get the nurse. It's as simple as.
15:45We're here to get your account of things today.
15:47So the majority of the offences that you've been arrested for are shoplifting, which is theft.
15:52You've also been arrested for a robbery.
15:54That would be a theft involving force.
15:57If the officers can't secure charges, the suspect will be released.
16:02On the 22nd of the 7th, King Street, Lancaster, did you enter, uh, 2014 hours?
16:10No, Colin.
16:12When you've entered, have you headed straight for a specific aisle?
16:16No, Colin.
16:18So, the allegation is that you've stolen protein bars to a value of around £256.
16:25But you've entered the store, you've made specifically to that area of the shop,
16:31and in around 50 seconds, you've stolen all of those items, taken them in your hands and left.
16:36Have you done that?
16:37No, Colin.
16:38I'll make you aware of the CCTV, where it does appear to quite clearly be yourself.
16:46Do you sometimes go to the same place more than once in a day?
16:54When you went in, did you intend to steal things like cooked meats, cheese and coffee?
16:59Yeah.
17:01What was the reason that you intended to take those specific items?
17:07Essentially, you've admitted to entering that store and taking those items.
17:11Yeah.
17:12How much heroin do you take? Do you take every day?
17:15Yeah.
17:15Yeah, how much do you take?
17:17I don't know, uh, £4,000.
17:21What's that cost you a day?
17:26£25,000.
17:28PC Holton moves on to the more serious robbery charge.
17:33So, what do you remember?
17:34Um, I've grabbed some chocolate.
17:37Okay.
17:38Um, one guy come round before I've even put it in my hand.
17:43Right.
17:44He's come round and said, oh, you put that back.
17:47I've told him the fuck off now.
17:49I think two of them.
17:51They've basically blocked me.
17:53They haven't they?
17:54Have you made threats to either of those members of staff, just to be clear?
17:58No.
18:00One of them said they'd put their hands up and then you've, like, smacked the hand out of the way.
18:04Have you done that?
18:05No.
18:07Nothing else from you?
18:09Right.
18:09It's 14.55 hours.
18:11It's 2.55pm.
18:12Okay?
18:13I'll end the interview there.
18:15Michael now has just under 10 hours left of his custody clock.
18:19Hiya, Macy.
18:20So, what was he like in interview?
18:22He's denied the robbery, said he wasn't violent, wasn't aggressive to the staff members, hasn't threatened them, hasn't assaulted them.
18:29So, he's denied the robbery aspects.
18:32But he's had all the thefts.
18:34He's given a full account of most of them, remembered most of them, said he does it to fund his
18:39drug habit.
18:45Michael was later convicted of seven shop thefts and sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
18:51He awaits his sentence for robbery.
18:54My concern is, he's a, by his own admission, is a drug addict.
18:59He's committed these offences.
19:01He's said in order to fuel his drug habit, and I don't think eight weeks, of which he'll probably serve
19:08four, perhaps three, is enough to actually break that habit and get him into a different routine.
19:15It probably isn't sufficient to rehabilitate him, and he'll probably just come out and do it again.
19:20Um, I'd like to think he won't, and I would love to think that he's learned a lesson and will
19:25seek help.
19:28However, instincts and experience tells me we'll be dealing with him again shortly.
19:36There you go, and he's nicked it straight out.
19:39Good facial shot of him there.
19:41A standoff with a wanted thief who's terrorised the same shop eight times.
19:46What the fuck are you doing?
19:48Oh, look at the door.
19:50BOOM!
19:51BOOM!
19:52BOOM!
19:53BOOM!
19:59BOOM!
20:02BOOM!
20:04BOOM!
20:07BOOM!
20:07BOOM!
20:12Are you free quickly, boss, to go through the vultures?
20:15Yeah, yeah, BOOM!
20:16BOOM!
20:16Fantastic!
20:19stick operation vulture is targeting the most serious and habitual shop thieves in lancashire
20:25i saw him yesterday so he's clearly out so we'll put him down there and i know he's out as
20:31well
20:34he's been locked up over in blackpool so again we can get rid of him for now and take my
20:40thoughts
20:40asking so yeah let's have a look a few of the yeah the upcoming ones might start getting out
20:44there to the patrols as well i'll get updated the team have a new most wanted ben he's one of
20:51the most
20:51prolific we've got impressed at the moment isn't he for the past four weeks because he's got probably
20:56about eight jobs for him maybe more all from the same shop as well i think we'll get we'll get
21:02a
21:02positive result for him soon boss got a few on it so they'll hopefully get him in the next few
21:06days
21:06lock him up all right spot on mate brilliant thanks boss
21:34so this one should be hopefully him entering this store yeah that's him on the bike there
21:42it looks like he's like scoping it out doesn't he seeing if they've got security guard on
21:48and there you go straight in hold up
21:55straight in his pants
21:57there you go and he's nicked it straight out there you go good good facial shot of him there
22:05you go that way with strong cctv evidence against the suspect ben
22:14police have enough to bring him in
22:19well that way
22:27plan of action if we can grab him would be lock him up the ones that we know he's done
22:31and then we can do some digging around the other ones that have come in and see if he's done
22:35them
22:35as well i've had a look through and it's mainly just food groceries this one says cheesecakes
22:42there's others for meats and stuff that he's just hiding on this person and leaving
22:45and then we can get him in and see if he's done with the other ones that have come in
22:52the police arrive at ben's address
23:17I think he's gone out once.
23:19He's gone out? How long ago?
23:21I heard him earlier this morning, about 6 o'clock.
23:23I haven't seen him since I'm near the doorbell.
23:26Right, we'll go and have a look for him. Cheers. Nice one.
23:40Back at the station, the hunt is on for more evidence.
23:46He's prolifically hitting one of the Tesco stores in Preston.
23:50We've got about eight jobs for him now.
23:52So, 10% of the shoplifters from Tesco are...
23:56..or have been committed, potentially, by him.
24:02Four hours later, police receive a tip-off
24:05and are called back to the flat.
24:08I've just had a call from Claire from the Housing Association,
24:12who says she's going to do an eviction at his home address.
24:15So, we're going to go now and see if he's in,
24:18and serve the eviction on him.
24:19And if he's in, he'll be coming in.
24:24With deaths, we don't have a power of entry.
24:27But the Housing Association have given us consent to go in.
24:31Because he's committing offences in the community,
24:33it's a breach of his tenancy, so...
24:36He's had previous warnings about other things.
24:40I think Claire's had enough of him, to be honest.
24:55If you could change the light down here, that would help.
24:58Otherwise...
24:58I will get a lock there.
25:00We'll see if he answers.
25:01If he don't answer, we can snap it,
25:02and then we can just wait for them to come.
25:04That's fine.
25:14Just keep an eye on the back.
25:17Yeah, jump out.
25:18Window's right back.
25:19It's Claire at gateway, are you in?
25:29Jackie's here at window.
25:30Stay where you are.
25:32Stay there.
25:34What are you doing, man?
25:35What's up with you?
25:36What's up with you?
25:38How you fucking fuck up with that?
26:04In 2024, two suspected shop thieves with possible links
26:09to an international crime group
26:10were stopped by traffic police in Humberside.
26:15The vehicle's full of items that are suspected to be stolen.
26:17So, at the minute,
26:1940 in 06 hours, you're both under arrest on suspicion of shop theft.
26:25Put that out for me.
26:27Now, same thing, Miami defensive.
26:28Don't mention one question.
26:29Sit down.
26:31Something out like a car.
26:31Anything you do, say.
26:32Maybe with evidence, okay?
26:34Everything will be explained to you.
26:36Another one?
26:38Another side, just underneath.
26:41Police found over £1,300 worth of stolen goods from a local supermarket.
27:08The two suspects were detained by Humberside police,
27:11who at this stage were unaware of their nationwide crime spree.
27:16The first time I set my eyes on Kretu and Gugulan was in custody.
27:21I was tasked to go to Grimsby and interview him.
27:26My role is to deal with prisoners that come in on a daily basis.
27:32You interview him, and you speak to your sergeant about the evidence,
27:35and either you charge him, or you bail him,
27:37or you're no further action then, depending on what evidence is available.
27:42Both Kretu and Gugulan were interviewed.
27:45Two further shop thefts were discovered.
27:48One locally, and one 200 miles away in Essex.
27:53At the time, Kretu was charged with the three counts of shop theft,
27:57and Gugulan was charged with two counts of shop theft.
28:00Both suspects were remanded to prison.
28:02It then became clear to Humberside police,
28:05their regional offending was merely the tip of the iceberg.
28:09I've been sat on my computer, and this is when this email's pinged in
28:12from the intelligence officer from OPAL, that Kretu and Gugulan's offending is much wider than before.
28:19I've shown their shop-lifting spree from the bottom of the country to the top of the country.
28:24They had one objective, and that was to steal.
28:28We liaise with the OIC in Humberside, who obviously thought they had some local offences,
28:32but actually we had a scope of national offences dating back to 2019.
28:37So it was a very different investigation to probably what they thought it was going to be when it began.
28:42PC Elijah Hartley faced the huge challenge of collating evidence against Kretu and Gugulan from 23 police forces.
28:50This is the biggest case I've worked on today.
28:54So that was a bit daunting at the time.
28:57To strengthen the case, PC Hartley had to prove the suspects intended to steal from supermarkets nationwide.
29:05There was 700 clips of CCTV footage of their offending.
29:09I had to review every single file.
29:12This is the CCTV from the day they were arrested.
29:16You've got both Gugulan and Kretu at the rear of the aisle.
29:22Kretu selecting numerous items and placing them into a trolley, which Gugulan is then organising.
29:28They then hide it with some nappies on top, which covers the whole bag.
29:35And then they just leave with no attempts to pay.
29:38You can see they're very organised for what they're doing.
29:46Organised crime gangs operate in a very sophisticated manner.
29:50They use vehicles to travel up and down the country.
29:53This isn't a case of just going in and grabbing a couple of items and then leaving the store.
29:58They go in with clear plans and set items that they know stealing means that they'll be able to sell
30:03on very quickly.
30:05They go around the shop collecting beauty items, razors, sometimes printering, high value small goods.
30:14This is a similar MO to what the other offences are across the other forces.
30:19You can see Kretu with a shopping trolley with multiple bags for life in it and a couple of large
30:26bags of nappies.
30:27He looks at a bottle of whisky and then places one of them into his bag, but then proceeds to
30:33select another three, four bottles of whisky and places them in his bag.
30:40He's going in with a shopping list in his head of what he's taking.
30:49On this footage, he goes to the self-checkout.
30:51However, he then looks around, probably to see if there's any staff members, and then he just walks off without
30:57making any attempts to pay for anything.
30:59Kretu and Gugilan were seen to be part of the same organised crime group of people.
31:05However, they were never seen together until the 30th of August, 2024, when they were ultimately arrested.
31:13That's the only time any CCTVs put them both together at the same place.
31:16The CCTV evidence was strong, but to secure the biggest charges, police needed them to talk.
31:24Elena Gugilan was brought from prison to be interviewed by PC Hartley, but the case suffered a setback.
31:30Gugilan was a no-comer interview.
31:33She gave me the attitude that she can't be bothered being there anymore, and she just wants to go back
31:42to prison.
31:43To connect both suspects to the catalogue of thefts totalling £78,000, all would depend on the interview with Andre
31:52Theodore Kretu.
32:20He's just been at this window here.
32:24With his legs dangling out, he's gone back inside now.
32:27I'm not shouting through a window out with you.
32:29What the fuck are you doing?
32:31Open the door!
32:34Operation Vulture have located Ben, suspected of stealing eight times from the same supermarket.
32:40He's now also facing eviction for breaking his housing conditions.
32:44Can you come and open the door, and I can come and talk to you?
32:47I don't want to talk to you.
32:47Well, you're going to have to.
32:48I'm not have to.
32:49You do have to, because I'm going to change that lock, because we should have a key.
32:52Change it, then. Change it.
32:52Are you going to come and open the door?
32:54I'm fucking... It's all wrong, then.
32:55Will you just change the lock, then, please?
32:56You're fucking blackmailing me, right? Yeah, fucking...
32:59How's it blackmailing? Yeah, it's blackmailing.
33:01Josh, do you want to fucking tell your ****?
33:03I'm not having this discussion through a window.
33:05Open the door.
33:06I'm not opening the fucking door.
33:07Yeah, well, then, they're going to change the lock, then.
33:09You're coming here. I'm not popping.
33:10Well, we're coming in, then.
33:11We're coming in, then.
33:12Right.
33:13Due to Ben's persistent offending against one store, the police need to take him into custody.
33:20The Housing Association grant them access to the apartment.
33:24He had his legs out of the back one day, but I got here.
33:27Last chance. Come on.
33:29There's police at the back, mate.
33:30I'm not popping.
33:31Well, you need to come down, otherwise we're going to end up damaging this door.
33:34Well, we'll have to, won't we?
33:35We'll have to, then.
33:36All right.
33:38Grab one of them.
33:39Oh!
33:56Here's your hands.
34:05Stand up, bud.
34:08Just listen to my mate.
34:10At the minute, you're under arrest for shot lifting.
34:14All right.
34:14All right?
34:14You don't have to say anything, but it may on your defence.
34:17You're going to mention no question.
34:18Something you're led to lying in court.
34:20Anything you do say, mate, you're in evidence.
34:22All right?
34:22Yeah.
34:25It would have been the same outcome.
34:27Whether he'd have come to the door and jumped out the window,
34:29he would have still been arrested, but it went smoothly,
34:33and now he's in custody.
34:37Find you, Red.
34:38All right.
34:40All right, we'll get you on.
34:41All right, mate.
34:50We're going to go through now, follow the van in,
34:53we'll get him booked in, and then we'll tidy up the investigation
34:57and get him interviewed.
35:00He's been arrested for one offence.
35:02It's just an easier process when we get to custody,
35:06and then he'll be rearrested for the further offences,
35:09at least seven, but it may be more.
35:22Just this way, mate.
35:24You all right?
35:27And where was the offence taking place?
35:29At Tesco, on Longridge Road, Ribbleton, Preston.
35:33We've got to do some other enquiries
35:35on at least seven other thefts from the same store.
35:42All right.
35:44I'm going to authorise your detention at the police station,
35:46so then we're going to have to ask you some questions
35:47in a tape-recorded interview.
35:49All right?
35:49Yeah.
35:51Any jewellery?
35:53No.
35:53No?
35:59No.
36:01No, no.
36:02No, no.
36:04No.
36:05No.
36:06No, no, no.
36:08No, no, no, no.
36:23We'll now get him interviewed, and hopefully he is commanded to court tomorrow.
36:32So over the 17 shop thefts, you've took over £78,000 worth of goods.
36:39A breakthrough in the nationwide supermarket shop theft.
36:43Just keep your eye on that thought here.
36:45No, probably not.
36:47Yes, it seems to be me.
37:04In the case of the Romanian organised shop thieves, key suspect Andrei Theodore Cretu was already in prison for regional
37:12shop theft offences.
37:14The time is 12.11. I'm a present interview room at Cloughborough Police Station.
37:20In October 2024, he was accused of attempting to steal a further £18,000 worth of goods from supermarkets nationwide.
37:29You've got that nerves in you, like, am I going to make sure I'm asking everything?
37:34The success of the case needed his account.
37:38On the 18th or the 12th, where were you?
37:40I don't know.
37:43Were you in Brogestone?
37:45I don't know.
37:47Did you take anything to the value of £1,091?
37:51I don't remember.
37:56This is a new store.
37:57On the 15th of March 2024, you entered Warrington and began to select a rice range of two brush heads,
38:05nicotine items, and other layers items.
38:07Do you remember taking them?
38:08See, there's me to sell if you want.
38:11I don't remember.
38:13Because of the amount of offending that's happened, it was going to be a long interview.
38:18So, for the table, I'll show you CCO2.
38:20There's a gentleman just there.
38:22I believe that to be you.
38:23Would you agree?
38:26I can't tell.
38:30The image is very dark.
38:32I can't tell.
38:33If I'm looking at this in a bit, and looking at yourself, sitting in front of me, I would believe
38:37that this is you.
38:38You are showing me very little things.
38:45If you can show me something more clearer, then I'll admit to what I've done.
38:56Just keep your eye on that door here.
38:59There, do you see it?
39:00Do you see it?
39:06Yes, it seems to be me, but I don't remember if I've come to buy or what I did.
39:13With Creto acknowledging he was in the CCTV, the investigators at last had a foothold.
39:21These offenses have been committed all around the country.
39:25You should know if you've been to those locations, no matter when the date is.
39:29And if you've been and you've taken anything from any store at any point.
39:41I didn't have the black market, cash in hand, if you will, because I didn't have the necessary documents to
40:01work.
40:02You're in charge.
40:03Is that you?
40:04Is that you?
40:07Yes.
40:08Yes.
40:10You all look very organized in what you're doing and hiding.
40:14I would say that you're all part of one group, and you know what you're doing, and your main goal
40:21is to make money.
40:22Yes, I don't know any group, and I don't know any group, and I'm not involved in any group.
40:27I repeat, I don't have any connection with any group, I don't know any group, and I'm not involved in
40:35any group.
40:36So, over the 17 shop thefts, you've took over £78,000 worth of goods. Again, how do I explain that?
40:45I didn't know the value of the items that I was taking.
40:53When he's gone, yeah, it was me. It was just a sign of relief, and it made me feel like
41:01we've got somewhere with this.
41:03The Crown Prosecution Service charged Kretu and his accomplice Elena Gugalan. Both suspects appeared at Crown Court.
41:12PC Hartley was able to secure over 30 shop theft charges for the two suspects.
41:18That is an incredible piece of work, and to have worked with so many police forces and partner agencies to
41:23gather all of that information
41:25meant that the suspects didn't just get charged with Humberside offences.
41:28They actually were charged with offences from all over the country, and that is down to his hard work.
41:33For shoplifting offences, Gugalan was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
41:40Kretu was sentenced to a total of two years and four months, and could be deported on his release.
41:47There's a good sentence, and it's a good outcome for the job.
41:49It shows that if you're going to do such a thing, you're going to get punished for your actions and
41:55receive prison sentence for it.
42:21He is very much a prolific offender. He's targeted the same store numerous times,
42:25sometimes uses disguises.
42:28Operation Vulture's most wanted shop thief, Ben, is in the interview room with PC Kimberley Dasso.
42:36He faces charges of multiple thefts.
42:39So, before I caution you, I'm going to arrest you for a further seven incidents of shoplifting.
42:44So, you're being interviewed regarding an allegation of eight times shoplifting.
42:47Are you guilty of these offences?
42:49No, I don't.
42:52We've got CCTV footage, which shows a male identified to be yourself,
42:56picking up two cases of corona lagers before running out of the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:03Can you confirm that was you in the footage?
43:05No, I don't.
43:07We've got CCTV showing a male identified to be yourself,
43:11then select eight cheesecake items from the dessert fridge
43:14and place them down on his trousers before leaving the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:19Can you confirm that that's you in the footage?
43:21No, I don't.
43:23There is CCTV footage available showing a male identified to yourself
43:27and select numerous grocery items to the value of £86.50.
43:30Before leaving the store and making no attempt to pay.
43:33Do you want to comment on this?
43:34No, I don't.
43:36I showed him the CCTV footage of him in the shop.
43:40He had no reaction to seeing this footage.
43:43He said no comment to all questions I've asked.
43:45I'll go and review the case, speak to my sergeant,
43:49and we're going to seek a charge for all eight shopliftings.
43:53Ben is charged with eight shop thefts from the same store.
43:56He is kept in custody overnight until court in the morning.
44:04He has gone to Lancashire Magistrates Court.
44:09There he was given bail conditions not to enter any Tesco store in Preston,
44:13and then he'll next be seen in court in about seven weeks' time.
44:19He can't just keep going in and out of shops, taking anything he wants.
44:23He has these bail conditions to adhere to, and if he doesn't, then he'll be brought before court.
44:27Operation Vulture's Most Wanted was later convicted of all eight shop thefts.
44:32He was given a 16-week suspended sentence and ordered to undertake a drug rehabilitation program.
44:39To be sure.
44:40Theág're right.
45:07It's the first day.
45:07The second day.
45:07It's the first day.
45:07I'm going to look at Él平 With JON.
45:08You