SAS Catching the Criminals S01E04
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CreativityTranscript
00:00Covert surveillance, reconnaissance, deception, stealth, and disruption.
00:07These are the skills I learned on the military front line.
00:11And they can be used to combat a different enemy.
00:15Britain's criminals.
00:20That's the team thrown into position now.
00:22My name is Billy Billingham, and I spent over 20 years in the SAS.
00:29Now I'm going to show you how SAS tactics are helping to crack down on anti-social crime across Britain.
00:37All teams now in position.
00:39Strike, strike, strike.
00:40Some enforcement agencies are already using SAS tactics to hunt criminals.
00:45Check this out. This is exactly what they were looking for.
00:49Hey, presto.
00:51And I want to find out how much the police are doing too.
00:54Go, go, go.
00:57She's going to pick up a target right now.
00:59You're lying, aren't you? And you know very well it's illegal.
01:02Let's go. You need to move quick. Stand by.
01:04Banged up. Job done.
01:07BANG
01:23There are some crimes that happen right in front of us, and we don't even realise it.
01:28But like in the SAS, when the police get a lead, they follow the trail and take down the perpetrators.
01:37Today, we're with the City of London Police, and we're going after suspected counterfeiters.
01:45Some big luxury brands are being faked.
01:48Bad news for the consumer. Unsafe, unethical and untested.
01:52These products are flooding our markets.
01:56We're going after these suspects, and today, they're going to get more than they bargained for.
02:02Trading counterfeited goods has risen over the last few years,
02:06and has cost the UK economy over £9 billion in lost revenue.
02:11The specialist team I'm meeting are based in the City of London,
02:15but their remit is national, investigating fraud across the whole of the country.
02:20Good morning, everyone. Thank you for attending today.
02:22The intention this morning is to arrest two individuals
02:25and search for counterfeit goods.
02:28These criminals have a sophisticated M.O.
02:31To make sales, they advertise online and take payment.
02:35To distribute the goods, they have a secret shop.
02:38Only paying customers are told the location.
02:41The tip-off for this operation came from one of the luckiest people in the world.
02:46It's a man who sells counterfeit goods.
02:48He's been in the business for over 20 years.
02:51He's been in the business for over 20 years.
02:53He's been in the business for over 20 years.
02:55The tip-off for this operation came from one of the luxury brands who went undercover.
03:00Chanel did an investigation into the group,
03:02and they identified a group that was selling and advertising fake goods
03:08on Telegram, Snapchat and WhatsApp.
03:14And carried out a test purchase at the location we're attending today.
03:18It's not just the police using SES tactics to catch criminals.
03:22This secret filming shows the covert surveillance techniques used by the luxury brand.
03:28Today's suspect might be a small operator,
03:31but it could link to bigger, more organised crime.
03:34I'm keen to find out more from Matt, who's heading up the operation.
03:38Other than economic, what is the real problem with counterfeit stuff?
03:41So the counterfeit goods, they're untested at the end of the day,
03:44so they could be potentially dangerous.
03:46The clothing, for instance, may not be fire-retardant, those sorts of things.
03:49There's potentially counterfeit perfume.
03:51You don't know what's in that perfume and people putting that on their skin.
03:54So these things can be dangerous.
03:56It's the ethical side of it as well, slave labour and where these things are coming from.
04:00You're supporting it by buying this stuff.
04:02That's exactly it.
04:04You're buying this stuff and it might not seem a big deal,
04:07but however, there's a bigger picture around that.
04:09We've got instances where this type of trade, it supplies other criminality,
04:13terrorism, firearms, guns, drugs, other criminal gangs.
04:17And so there is a much bigger picture to this.
04:23I actually find this really fascinating,
04:25the level that these people will go to to advertise it, market it,
04:29and then have actually a shop, a secret shop set up,
04:33where people then get invited to go like you would on the high street.
04:36It's done very, very professionally, just like you would legitimately,
04:40but this is totally illegal.
04:42I've had my fair share of dealing with illegal counterfeit activity.
04:46As an SAS operator, and I know how hard it can be to distinguish real from fake.
04:52The team are hitting multiple targets simultaneously today.
04:56The so-called shop on the industrial unit and other addresses linked to the suspects.
05:02The illegal shop is on the outskirts of London.
05:06So that's the vehicles now just arriving on the target location.
05:10This is the final approach now.
05:14From team leader, team one is in position.
05:16Team three in position.
05:18Yeah, OK.
05:19So this team's in position now.
05:21Matt's just checking as a team leader that everybody's ready to go.
05:24Team three, ready to go.
05:26From team leader, strike, strike, strike, strike, strike.
05:28The whole of the team is in position.
05:30Team three, ready to go.
05:32From team leader, strike, strike, strike, strike, strike.
05:34The whole investigation all comes down to this.
05:37Will the team find what they're looking for?
05:46Part of my job is protection, either as an SAS operator or as a bodyguard for VIPs.
05:52There are also experts whose job is to protect members of the community.
05:57These unsung heroes spend their days looking out for others.
06:04Look, Sam, who's the sea taxpayer on this? Is it the landlord?
06:07In Waltham Forest Council, there's a team
06:10whose mission is to protect the people against rogue landlords.
06:14The tenants, we expect there might be six or seven tenants in the property.
06:19Julia Morris and her team are here to execute a warrant
06:23on a suspected unlicensed HMO.
06:26A house with multiple occupancy.
06:28Landlords make massive profits renting out unsuitable homes
06:32with too many tenants under one roof.
06:34We know from the outside that the property is in extremely poor condition
06:37and completely unsafe for those tenants.
06:41The nature of rogue landlords make the exact number of them
06:44across the UK hard to gauge.
06:46But according to the latest figures,
06:48around a million privately rented homes
06:51are estimated to fail the Government Decent Homes Standards.
06:55Look at all this.
06:56KNOCKING
06:59Hello, from the council.
07:03We've got a warrant. We are going to be coming in anyway.
07:06We noticed the poor state.
07:08As you can see, there's glass panes missing from the windows,
07:12poor disrepair.
07:14We have managed to get in, so we're going to go in now
07:17in the purpose of doing a full inspection to protect the tenants.
07:21Hello, we're going to be coming into the rooms.
07:23We have a warrant, so if you're in, can you come down, please?
07:27The team are inside, but each room has a lock.
07:30The tenants are wary and unsure what's happening.
07:33But they aren't the target today.
07:35The landlord is.
07:37Julia and her team are used to this.
07:39Can we speak to you for a moment?
07:41Nothing to worry about. We just need to do an inspection.
07:44No-one's in any trouble.
07:46It's clear from the moment the team step inside
07:49that the state of this house is uninhabitable.
07:52It's just terrible that people are having to live in these conditions.
07:56You see the ceilings come down.
07:59There's some severe damp under the front window.
08:04There'll be smoke alarms.
08:07Anywhere.
08:09Julia has noticed another problem that could be fatal.
08:13So this is the rear door that runs off of the kitchen,
08:16so if there is any fire and they want to go out the back,
08:19they'll open this rear door.
08:21There is a metal gate there that is locked with no key in there,
08:24so anybody who's trying to escape,
08:26they're just going to be hit by a metal gate,
08:28not be able to get out at all, so extremely unsafe.
08:33It makes me really angry.
08:36This is probably up there with one of the worst I've seen.
08:41Hello? Can I turn the light on?
08:43As well as inspecting the property,
08:45the warrant is about gathering intel.
08:47Interviewing the tenants will give vital evidence against the landlord.
08:51I'm really sorry to disturb you.
08:53You pay rent for this room?
08:55Yeah. How much do you pay?
08:57£800. £800 for this room?
09:00Yeah. Per month? Per month.
09:02So this property, number one, is not licensed,
09:06which is a legal requirement in this borough,
09:08but separate from that, there's a number of issues in here
09:11that concern us as a council,
09:13so we're here to protect you
09:15and make sure that your landlord keeps his requirements.
09:18You know, we've spoken to the tenants.
09:20The landlord is making a substantial amount of income from this property
09:24and, you know, obviously, in this day and age,
09:26tenants are desperate to find somewhere to live
09:28and they just see it as, OK, they've got a bed for the night,
09:31which, you know, I understand, but it's so unsafe.
09:36With the inspection complete,
09:38the dangers in this property have mounted
09:41and Julia can't leave it this way.
09:44We've got cables hanging down that are just being held up
09:47by what looks like a bit of charging cable.
09:50We're not sure if that's live,
09:52so what we're trying to do now is get an electrician down here
09:55as an emergency.
09:56As well as organising the emergency works here
09:59and ensuring the landlord foots the bill for it,
10:01the council do have other powers,
10:04including fining the landlord up to £30,000.
10:07Or prosecuting them.
10:09The team see problems like this all over the borough.
10:12Another address, another warrant, a similar story.
10:16At this address, a landlord is suspected of renting out
10:20unlicensed units at the back of his home.
10:23Hello, it's the council. Can you let us in, please?
10:31Hello. We've seen you come in. We do have a warrant.
10:37The warrants mean that Julia can inspect all the properties,
10:41whether the tenants are home or not.
10:44The team are using specialist techniques as a method of entry.
10:48Minimum damage, maximum effect.
10:53Hello. We was looking.
10:57Don't be embarrassed. We're here to protect you.
11:00That's what we're here for, OK?
11:02So let me just explain.
11:04Your landlord should have obtained a licence
11:06to rent this property to you.
11:08OK. This landlord has not followed the law.
11:14The back of the property is a rabbit warren of outhouses.
11:18And the condition of one is alarming.
11:20So we've just managed to get access to this building,
11:23which actually just looks like it's a garden shed.
11:25But we've managed to get in. The tenant's not here.
11:28It's clearly living accommodation.
11:30This is so serious, we'll probably look at a prohibition order
11:33for this property to stop anyone living in this property.
11:38If this tenant is cooking on this hob and there's a fire,
11:41there is no means of escape.
11:43This tenant can't get out. This is a wood structure.
11:45This is going to go up really quick.
11:47We'll be speaking to the landlord under caution regarding this.
11:50The issues with rogue landlords are widespread across the UK
11:54and the dangers are real.
11:56In London alone, around 6,000 people have reported concerns
12:00about their rental property through the Mayor's Reporter rogue tool online.
12:05Julia wants to make sure all tenants are aware of their rights.
12:09Some tenants are really nervous to contact us as a service
12:12because they think it could jeopardise their tenancy.
12:15And I would say, please contact us.
12:17We would protect the residents and it's so unsafe.
12:23We're finding this time after time again
12:25and what we'd like to do is raise the profile
12:27and make sure landlords are fully aware
12:29that they just can't get away with it in Waltham Forest.
12:31We are constantly taking strong enforcement action
12:34against non-compliant landlords in the borough.
12:37Brilliant. Thanks, guys. See you later.
12:39See you. Bye.
12:44On the outskirts of London,
12:46the team are ready to strike at the suspected counterfeit shop.
12:50We head to the specific unit.
12:53Lights are off, but the team have a warrant and are coming in.
12:57Police! Police! Police!
12:59Police with a search warrant.
13:01Method of entry?
13:02They've been given the master key by the building's owner.
13:05There's only lights inside. It's clear in here.
13:08We have got no suspects on premises, over.
13:11The unit is empty of suspects,
13:13but it's full to the brim with luxury clothing and accessories.
13:18This is a secret shop.
13:19We made soft entry and there's no suspects actually in here at the moment,
13:23but as you can see, all the merchandise,
13:26everything from shoes to labels to belts, it's all here.
13:31And this is almost like a showroom,
13:33and in the back there, there's just boxes and boxes.
13:42This is actually a lot more than I was expecting.
13:46A lot of money's worth here.
13:50But while the raid of the shop looks promising,
13:53across London, Danny's leading the second strike team,
13:57who are going after the suspects.
14:01This team also try a soft entry.
14:04Hello, this is the police. Can you open up?
14:06KNOCKING
14:07Oh, someone there. Yeah, someone there.
14:09Hello, sorry to disturb you. How are you doing? City police.
14:12And the person they're looking for answers the door.
14:14We need to come in. We've got a warrant. I'll speak to you, OK?
14:16OK. At this time, I'm going to arrest you.
14:18I'm going to arrest you in relation to this matter,
14:20which is a fraud matter.
14:22With the suspect taken in for questioning,
14:24the team search for evidence at the address that could link him
14:27to the counterfeit operation.
14:29A number of mobile phones seized, four in total.
14:33Some documents in relation to the business address have been seized.
14:37There appears to be financial lines of inquiry.
14:40A number of SIM cards also.
14:43And when we say documents, we have links to the said business.
14:49The social media platform there,
14:51that's seized from the bedroom within the premises.
14:55A notebook.
14:57Hopefully it links into the rest of the operation that's been going on.
15:03The team also found and seized a PDQ machine,
15:06usually found in shops, to take payments.
15:09We can make inquiries with the relevant banks,
15:12but that gives us another financial line of inquiry,
15:15alongside the bank cards that we found.
15:20The search of the flat is complete,
15:22but Dan's team also found keys to a rental car in the suspect's name.
15:30My mobile phone.
15:32Samsung Android.
15:34Found by the officer in this vehicle.
15:38Another machine here.
15:40Another payment machine and another mobile phone.
15:43It's these electronic connections and online data,
15:47the digital footprint, that can make or break an evidential case.
15:52Yeah, in this case, with the social media platforms that we're seeing,
15:56it's fundamental, really, and digital evidence,
15:59presenting that to the court.
16:01We've got the technology and dedicated digital forensic investigators
16:05that will produce reports and statements and evidence bundles
16:08in relation to each of those social media platforms.
16:12So, yeah, it's pretty forensic, should I say.
16:17But investigations also rely on physical evidence,
16:21what's right in front of you.
16:23And today, that all hinges on the items in the shop.
16:27Are they real or fake?
16:36I'm in awe of people who use their own experience of crime
16:40to help others,
16:42especially when they're focused on improving children's lives.
16:52Martial arts expert and coach Pete Martin from Reddidge
16:56has dedicated his life to volunteering.
16:59I've been involved with Northrom extensively,
17:02alongside West Mersey Police, for ten years.
17:05I visit schools and colleges,
17:07I educate young people about the dangers of knife crime.
17:14In the last ten years, unfortunately,
17:16knife crime in our country has risen by approximately 80%,
17:22which is a huge increase in what is a very traumatic crime in itself.
17:33Pete has good reason to try and put kids off carrying blades.
17:37When he was younger, he witnessed his friend being stabbed,
17:41and he's had to learn ways of coping with the trauma he saw.
17:45It's taken me many years to be able to deal with it.
17:49I'm still a bit traumatised now, but I have learnt coping strategies
17:54and, by helping others, that has, in a way, been a part of my therapy.
18:01And a part of my counselling.
18:08And, hopefully, my own life experiences come across to those people
18:14that I have been where they've been,
18:17and I can help them in a positive manner.
18:22As well as assemblies, Pete also uses his martial arts expertise
18:27to help youngsters with his Jabs Not Stabs programme.
18:31Ready for it? Yeah, man. Let's do it.
18:38Libby started training with Pete after her cousin was murdered.
18:43Losing someone like that, it just crumbles you,
18:46it really turns your life upside down, it really does.
18:50It really affects you.
18:53But just when Libby really needed it,
18:55she saw Pete's flyer.
18:57It was just weird that that letter come through that door,
19:01for me to meet Pete, who is perfect for my situation,
19:06to dig me out of that hole and to make my life better.
19:10It was just like, it was a message from the universe
19:14just to help, really.
19:17You're punching low, aren't you? That makes it hard work.
19:21By the end of the session, you just feel a bit better about life.
19:24You get to get things off your chest in a different way
19:27that's not just talking about it
19:29and you don't want things to eat you up
19:31and that's what Pete's really good at,
19:33is making you express yourself in a different light, in a different way.
19:39Punch that pad, number two. Right, OK.
19:42If you are training with somebody
19:44and getting to know them through a physical activity,
19:47it breaks down the barrier and you become friends
19:50and then you can have open, honest conversations.
19:54It's been about two, three years I've known Pete now
19:58and life's going good.
20:01I've got an eight-month-old baby, starting my own business.
20:05The future looks good.
20:10All of Pete's work, at the gym or in schools,
20:14is interactive and direct.
20:17So this is what's going to happen.
20:19George is going to stab me.
20:23And he always has a surprising and compelling end to each of his talks.
20:29I believe carrying a knife is singly probably the worst thing you can do
20:33for your own self-protection.
20:35Many young people a year get stabbed by their own weapon.
20:39Good. Do not attack me until I say go.
20:43Is everybody OK with that?
20:45Yes.
20:46So when I say so.
21:02Nothing will ever be safer than avoidance of violence.
21:08But the only tactic I've discovered
21:13that has any real chance of keeping you safe
21:17is to not be there.
21:20If you are not there, you cannot be stabbed.
21:24It's not rocket science.
21:28Pete works tirelessly and helps countless children
21:31and young people in need.
21:34Pete works tirelessly and helps countless children.
21:38It's amazing to see how one person can make such a difference.
21:53Back at the counterfeit raid,
21:55the team are starting to get to grips
21:57with the amount of potential contraband here.
22:00There's a range.
22:02Expensive goods like Canada Goose, as you can see here.
22:05All the latest brands and fashions.
22:09Gucci.
22:13But it's not enough to assume it's all counterfeit.
22:17The team need hard proof
22:19and the only way to do that is to bring in the experts.
22:23Graham Mogg works for a company
22:25who carries out investigations on behalf of the brands.
22:29He's examined the clothes and given his assessment.
22:32They are counterfeit.
22:35How do you know this is fake?
22:37Well, a lot of it is down to quality.
22:39These are quite high-quality counterfeits,
22:41but there are markers within each one of these products
22:44that will identify that they're fake.
22:46A lot of the brands will have tools
22:49and utilise facilities to identify a counterfeit good,
22:53so they'll have markers within the clothing,
22:55they'll have security details that we can identify from.
22:58Some of these products won't have any care labels,
23:00so every product sold in the UK has to have a care label
23:03to make sure that people know how to treat them
23:05and how they should wear them.
23:07You're always leaving little mistakes, little telltale signs,
23:09which tells you that's fake.
23:11Yeah, that's right, and the brands change all the time.
23:13It's all about innovation, so once the counterfeiters innovate
23:15and change the ways they deal with the problem and make the goods,
23:19the brands try to be one step ahead
23:21in relation to the security features
23:23to enable us to be able to identify the products.
23:27The quantity of goods here is staggering.
23:30Then you've got Burberry.
23:33The gang have thought of everything.
23:35Even the packaging is high-end fake.
23:38It's like going to Harrods and buying an Harrods bag.
23:40You've got Louis Vuitton bags.
23:42They've gone to that extreme.
23:44And even boxes like this, look, all the wrapping,
23:46exactly as it would for genuine stuff.
23:49Even the packaging internally is exactly as it would be
23:52if you bought real Louis Vuitton,
23:54and they're all wrapped up inside.
23:56An untrained eye might think these items are genuine.
24:00The gang have gone to great lengths
24:02to try and ensure their fakes go under the radar.
24:06It's even got the QR scan and a number that you can validate online.
24:10So not only is this a counterfeit item,
24:12they've actually counterfeited the Serta logo scan as well,
24:15which is mad.
24:17So it's quite an advanced operation.
24:19The QR code could lead a customer to believe it's genuine.
24:25High-tech duplicity...
24:28..with a high price tag.
24:30So what sort of value are we talking? What money?
24:32Well, if they were genuine items,
24:34the quality of goods and the range of brands that they've got here,
24:37if they were genuine items, you're talking a million,
24:39£1.5 million worth of products.
24:41In this small space here, what we see, a million pounds?
24:43In this small space, some of the products here,
24:45£5,000 items individually.
24:47So collectively, they're going to be quite a high value.
24:50And even from a counterfeiting perspective,
24:52the actual gain is quite high for the counterfeiter.
24:56But, yeah, retail value, a million, million and a half.
24:59Wow, that's shocking.
25:01A million to a million and a half pounds.
25:04That's the retail value if the goods were genuine.
25:07But even selling these as fakes,
25:09there's a lot of money being made across this operation.
25:12What would you say to the people buying this,
25:14particularly the younger generation who follow the fashion?
25:16But you're putting yourself at harm and you're putting yourself at risk.
25:19You never know what type of clothing you're putting on.
25:21But we always say, stay genuine.
25:23Buy real, don't buy fakes.
25:26And don't follow influencers that tell you to buy fakes.
25:29Yeah.
25:30Because that's all they are doing is making money.
25:33They're even targeting kids, you know.
25:35These are all the fashion designs for little children.
25:38You don't know what the kids are putting on their body,
25:40what they're putting next to their skin.
25:42None of this has been tested.
25:45Every single item here will need to be confiscated and checked.
25:49And that means packing it all up.
25:54It's a huge task.
25:58But it's still just a small part of this massive counterfeit network.
26:03Temporary Commissioner Pete O'Doherty knows the wider picture.
26:07The income these people achieve,
26:09it's the second biggest source of criminal income,
26:12second only to drugs worldwide, so it's massive.
26:15So, I mean, obviously, there's a massive ethical side to this.
26:18That people don't take into account when you're buying it.
26:21People are just looking for a bargain, if you like.
26:23Absolutely.
26:25So, in many of these cases, a lot of these counterfeit goods,
26:29they are produced in bulk, in factories,
26:31particularly in places like China or Turkey.
26:34And these are warehouses that use either people being forced to labour,
26:38or young people, a lot of exploitation, human trafficking, slave labour.
26:42And that's what sits behind all of this.
26:44So I would urge anyone knowingly buying a counterfeit item
26:47to think about where this has come from and the impacts on people.
26:50It's huge.
26:51But the team are hoping today's operation
26:54has at least in part broken the chain.
26:57This all goes off to storage.
26:58It's probably going to have to be examined by more brands
27:01and that's to confirm it's counterfeit.
27:03We've got lots of work to do. We've got interviews to carry on.
27:06We've got to look at financials, things like that,
27:08to work out exactly how much money this criminal gang is making
27:11out of this operation.
27:12What were your key aims at the start today?
27:14The key aims really were one, to seize all the counterfeit goods,
27:17to take them off the market.
27:19And the other objective really is to arrest those responsible.
27:23We've arrested one. One's outstanding.
27:25And we will get that achieved in time.
27:31Absolutely fantastic day today.
27:33A million pounds of counterfeit off the streets.
27:35One suspect arrested.
27:37Big shout out to Matt and the City of London Police.
27:40Absolutely great job.
27:49Counterfeit is big business, but it's also against the law.
27:53Breaking the supply chain is a surefire way
27:56of taking down the enemy once and for all.
28:12Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation