0:00:03 > 0:00:07Insurance fraud in the UK is reaching epidemic levels
0:00:07 > 0:00:11and it's costing us billions of pounds every year.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Deliberate crashes, bogus personal injury claims,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18even phantom pets...
0:00:19 > 0:00:23..the fraudsters are risking more and more to make a quick killing,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and every year
0:00:25 > 0:00:30it's adding up to £50 to your insurance bill.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Insurers are fighting back.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Armed with covert surveillance systems...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38That's the subject out the vehicle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..sophisticated data analysis techniques
0:00:41 > 0:00:45and highly-skilled dedicated police units...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Police! Don't move! Stay where you are!
0:00:47 > 0:00:50..they're catching the criminals red-handed.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53All those conmen, scammers and cheats on the fiddle,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56now they're caught in the act
0:00:56 > 0:01:00and claimed and shamed.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Today, the Met Traffic Unit collar some suspected fraudsters
0:01:10 > 0:01:12on an early-morning raid...
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- Do you work here?- I don't work here. - You seem quite at home, with your coat off.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19..a lost dog at the centre of a pet insurance claim
0:01:19 > 0:01:22makes a remarkable comeback...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Another local vet has just contacted me
0:01:24 > 0:01:28for the history of that dog that supposedly was washed off the cliff
0:01:28 > 0:01:30because it's just been registered with them.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33..and a crash-for-cash gang is caught out
0:01:33 > 0:01:35trying to tangle with a truck.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Experience tells you when you're viewing footage
0:01:38 > 0:01:40that some things are not quite right.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48This busy station is in Middlesbrough, in North East England.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Thousands of passengers pass through its bustling foyer every day.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58In the summer of 2011, it was the scene of a dangerous accident
0:01:58 > 0:02:01that led to a large insurance claim.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Here's the man in question,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07moments before he fell and suffered serious injury.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Lee Ingram, from First Group's Transportation Claims Division, worked on the case.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16He's alleging that as he is walking across the foyer,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19he has tripped in a gap,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22which he is describing as a defect on the floor,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24fallen over and injured himself.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27The gentleman is alleging that, from this trip,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31he sustained injuries to his head, causing an open head wound.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Subsequently, he's then alleging that he has sustained dizzy spells
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and succumbed to headaches.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Some two months after the incident,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44he's still got headaches and suffering from dizziness.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49His on-going health problems indicated that this had been no minor accident.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51He's describing a traumatic head injury.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Head injuries are always something we would be concerned about.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Often, concussion is not immediately apparent
0:02:59 > 0:03:02to the person who sustained the concussion.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Head injuries can also lead to cognitive issues
0:03:05 > 0:03:08which will impair function,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10possible speech issues
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and maybe loss of short-term or long-term memory,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15so they're always something we will investigate seriously.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It was a potentially life-changing injury,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22but when Transportation Claims went to call up the accident report,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25they found that there wasn't one.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29The gentleman concerned alleges that he didn't report this particular incident to anyone
0:03:29 > 0:03:32because the ticket office was closed
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and there was no-one around for him to report to.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39It was clear that the case needed further investigation.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Luckily, the station is covered by CCTV
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and the cameras had captured everything from that evening.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Immediately before the accident, the man is seen to cross the foyer.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56He then falls over in a dramatic manner.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01When you see what has transpired in this particular footage,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06it makes you suddenly start thinking, "This is a bit strange!"
0:04:08 > 0:04:12What they saw on camera made Lee and his team suspicious.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17You'd expect in this type of fall for someone to fall forward quite quickly.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The first reaction when you take a fall like that
0:04:19 > 0:04:21is to put your arms out to break your fall.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24We don't see that in this situation.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Instead, the footage raises serious questions.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33We see the chap immediately going to hold his head before he hits the fall,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37suggesting that he may well be trying to break his fall because he knew it was coming.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40What's more, the footage shows numerous other passengers
0:04:40 > 0:04:44encountering no difficulty with the alleged defect in the floor tiling.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48We see round about 15 people walking over, around and across,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51some people even standing in the actual area,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54where this person is alleging he's tripped.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The sheer number that walk over it would suggest it wasn't the issue
0:04:58 > 0:05:00that the claimant is making it out to be.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03And the discrepancies didn't stop there.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The claimant alleged that he didn't report the incident
0:05:05 > 0:05:09because there were no station staff around, but this was disproved.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14When you look at the footage, you will see a number of people wearing high-vis jackets,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18which would've been station employees that he could've reported this fall to.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But that's not all that's revealed by the footage.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Perhaps the most telling piece of evidence was right at the beginning of the tape.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32A little girl is seen scooting around the foyer.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38At one stage, she runs over the tile, dislodging one of the tiles.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40She stops a little bit further on,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44turns around and replaces the tile where it's come from,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48obviously showing that there is a loose tile in the foyer.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Significantly, this all happens within view of the claimant.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Preceding the fall, you will see the gentleman walk towards the defect,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59take a deliberate look at it,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01walk on past it, lengthening his stride
0:06:01 > 0:06:05so he can actually step over the area in question.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10He then walks towards the foyer, he turns round at the stairs, walks back towards the area,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and you can visibly see him deviate to the left
0:06:14 > 0:06:19so that he can place his right foot deliberately into the area concerned.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21He does stumble forward
0:06:21 > 0:06:25as if his legs have been taken away from him.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I think he's given a great performance.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32He possibly could've won awards for that.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Transportation Claims felt they had all the evidence they needed
0:06:36 > 0:06:40to strike out the claimant's demand for compensation.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42They sent the CCTV to the claimant's solicitors
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and waited for a response.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Two years on, we've still not had a response from them
0:06:47 > 0:06:51as to whether they're withdrawing their claim. We'll take it as red that they are.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56For him to think he can get away with this sort of thing is quite naive
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and bordering on ridiculous!
0:07:01 > 0:07:07A dodgy vet is caught cashing in on treatments for pets that never existed.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09The only element of truth
0:07:09 > 0:07:14was the fact that the vet who was submitting the invoices for this expensive treatment
0:07:14 > 0:07:15was a real vet.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19A Met Traffic Unit raid on an accident management company
0:07:19 > 0:07:22turns up a truckload of potential evidence.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27There are multiple registration documents, hundreds of insurance claim forms,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32the usual mobile phones that he used in the claims. Basically, it's a gold mine.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38This is the home of the Met Traffic Unit.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Set up in 2010,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44this specialist department is dedicated to reducing the number of traffic-related deaths,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48injuries and crimes on the streets of the capital.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52We search for people who are wanted for serious offences.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56My team have made 300 arrests in the last two-and-a-half years,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59which is around about 50 operations.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Every one of those operations will have resulted in a prosecution.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08Their aim is to make our roads as safe as possible.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Criminals gangs operating insurance scams
0:08:12 > 0:08:15are responsible for the rise of a terrifying new danger on our roads -
0:08:15 > 0:08:18crash for cash.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22DI Dave Hindmarsh of the Met Traffic Unit
0:08:22 > 0:08:26is once again spearheading the initiative to stop the gangs in their tracks.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29You have the most serious types of crash for cash,
0:08:29 > 0:08:30which is the induced collision,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34and this is primarily where criminal gang members
0:08:34 > 0:08:37go out onto the roads with two cars.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41They drive in tandem, looking for their victim.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44They'll position themselves in front
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and then the decoy car, which will be the lead car,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48will brake hard.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52That gives the middle car, the one that they want to be damaged,
0:08:52 > 0:08:53a reason to brake,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56catch their victim out and they'll run into the back.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59That is a typical crash-for-cash scenario.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03The insurance industry have estimated that it cost them
0:09:03 > 0:09:08somewhere in the region of £392 million per year,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09but I think it's probably bigger.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13It is an extremely dangerous way of earning some money,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16because you are putting innocent members of the public at risk.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Cash-for-crash gangs will target commercial vehicles
0:09:19 > 0:09:22for the simple reason that they're insured.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24They know they're going to be insured.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28They don't want to cause a crash with someone who might not be insured.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Because fraudsters go after commercial fleet vehicles,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34some insurance companies, like Towergate,
0:09:34 > 0:09:40have taken the innovative step of supplying fleet vehicles with forward-facing cameras.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44That is one of the cameras we use. As you can see, it's quite small.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48We site them behind the rear-view mirror.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50But it's not the size that's important.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Towergate introduced them
0:09:52 > 0:09:56as a method of determining legal liability following an accident.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59We see what the driver sees.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01The cameras certainly proved their worth
0:10:01 > 0:10:06in the case of a collision on a busy A road in July 2010.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08One of their vehicles had hit the car in front.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It sounded like a standard rear-end shunt,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14but the footage revealed something more sinister.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16They passed it to DI Hindmarsh.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18In the footage,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22what you see is a blue Mercedes
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and a black VW Golf.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The black VW Golf is the decoy car,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31the car that's there to give the blue Mercedes a reason to brake.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Effectively, the footage shows the two vehicles
0:10:35 > 0:10:38manoeuvring themselves in front of the lorry,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and at the last moment, the black Golf brakes hard,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44turns left into a side road,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47causing the blue Mercedes to brake and stop,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52and the lorry crashes into the back with some significant rear damage.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Experience tells you when viewing footage that some things are not right.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58It's quite a large impact.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02The people involved in this are almost stunt drivers,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because I've watched that footage several times
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and at the last moment, just before impact,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13the driver of the Mercedes comes off the brakes
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and turns the steering wheel to the left,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17therefore he is hit
0:11:17 > 0:11:21but he's almost pushed out of the way and round the corner,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24rather than being pushed into incoming traffic.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26The shocking footage
0:11:26 > 0:11:29had actually captured a crash-for-cash gang in action
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and the investigation eventually uncovered a huge web of criminality
0:11:33 > 0:11:35stretching across the country.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39The decoy car, the black Golf that you see in the footage,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41the driver came from Luton.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The Mercedes that you see getting damaged,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47the owner of that car lives in London.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51One of the passengers in that car lived in Manchester.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53And the claims management company
0:11:53 > 0:11:56that were going to handle some of the aspects of this claim
0:11:56 > 0:11:59were in South Yorkshire.
0:11:59 > 0:12:05The Met Traffic Unit investigated the main players seen in the footage.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07We knew who the owner of the Mercedes was,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and it was a matter of finding out who his associates were.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Ansab Rizwan was the managing director
0:12:14 > 0:12:17of an accident management company in Yorkshire,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22his brother, Ihtisham Gondal, was a passenger in the Mercedes
0:12:22 > 0:12:27and Tariq Mehmood was the driver of the decoy car.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Dave Hindmarsh and his team had enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37It resulted in the accident management company in Yorkshire
0:12:37 > 0:12:39being the subject of a search warrant.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42We searched the premises and took all the files.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45That highlighted a number of other collisions
0:12:45 > 0:12:48in London, Manchester
0:12:48 > 0:12:52and around the sort of Luton, Bedfordshire area.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57The suspects were arrested and the case eventually came to court.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58They all pleaded guilty.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03Tariq Mehmood was seen as the most serious of the people concerned.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05He was the one that had caused the crashes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07He got 12 months imprisonment.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Ansab Rizwan and his brother Ihtisham Gondal
0:13:10 > 0:13:14received suspended sentences
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and 180 hours unpaid work.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22And Nasser Khan, the gentlemen who had allowed his car to be used,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25he received a community order as a result.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29So people who previously hadn't been in trouble with the police before
0:13:29 > 0:13:32have now got criminal records and some have gone to prison.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37The sentences reflected the seriousness of the crime.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Cash for crash risks injuring innocent people
0:13:41 > 0:13:43in a staged road accident.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's a very real danger.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50In February 2013, a gang was jailed for their role in the tragic death of a young woman,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53caught up in a crash-for-cash accident.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The Met Traffic Unit are totally committed to making our roads safe.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01If a lot more commercial vehicles, even private cars, were fitted with cameras,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04it would be a massive use to ourselves
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and the insurance companies.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We think of the UK as a nation of animal lovers,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18but unscrupulous fraudsters are exploiting our furry friends, in order to line their pockets.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Disturbing figures from the Association of British Insurers
0:14:21 > 0:14:27show pet insurance fraud quadrupled from £420,000 in 2009
0:14:27 > 0:14:31to almost £2 million in 2010.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Simon Wheeler is managing director of Agria Pet Insurance.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42He reviewed a claim for a pay-out for a missing dog.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48It was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. It was merely four years old.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53The claimant contacted the company to explain what had happened to the poor pooch.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The policy holder and the dog had been in Cornwall,
0:14:56 > 0:14:57near the seaside,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and the dog had been washed out to sea off a rock,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and that was the last the policy holder saw of the dog.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05This was obviously traumatic for the owner
0:15:05 > 0:15:07because in the claim form she was very upset
0:15:07 > 0:15:11and the dog had been washed out to sea in front of her eyes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Despite the heartbreak of losing the dog,
0:15:14 > 0:15:19the policy holder would receive a silver lining in the form of a pay-out,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and promptly sent through the documentation.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The claim form was completed by the policy holder
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and the full veterinary section was completed by her local vet.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37As part of the claims procedure, Agria contacted the practice associated with the dog
0:15:37 > 0:15:40to check the animal was registered with them
0:15:40 > 0:15:42and that the vet who signed the form worked there.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45The practice instantly said, "Yes, this is one of our patients
0:15:45 > 0:15:48"and this vet works at the practice."
0:15:48 > 0:15:50That vet at the time who had signed the claim form
0:15:50 > 0:15:53was on holiday when we contacted them.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Nothing led us to suggest that there was fraudulent activity, and indeed we settled the claim -
0:15:58 > 0:16:00a fairly low value for £300.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04But then Agria were contacted by the vet,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07who had just returned from her holiday.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12She was pretty confident that she hadn't filled out the claim form, hadn't signed the claim form,
0:16:12 > 0:16:18because as far as she was concerned, if she couldn't identify the pet and the pet had died,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21she wouldn't have signed a certificate to say it had died.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23The claim form was faxed to the vet
0:16:23 > 0:16:28who confirmed that it wasn't her signature and pointed out another discrepancy.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33The practice stamp on the claim form actually wasn't their practice stamp,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37so more than likely, the policy holder had a stamp made up
0:16:37 > 0:16:39to add that level of authenticity to the claim.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43It seemed clear that Agria was dealing with a fraudulent claim.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Although they'd gone to some lengths to create a genuine-looking form,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51they had underestimated the insurer's determination to stamp out fraud.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55We said to the policy holder, "We believe you're acting fraudulently.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00"We've been in contact with the practice and they didn't complete this claim form."
0:17:00 > 0:17:01Very shortly afterwards,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05we got a cheque in the post from the policy holder for the £300,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07a letter of explanation
0:17:07 > 0:17:12to say that somebody in the household had completed the form
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and submitted it fraudulently.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19But the whole shaggy-dog story didn't end there.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Four months later, Agria were contacted again by the dog's vet,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26who had uncovered a staggering new development.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29She rang up and said, "You're not going to believe this.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32"Another local vet has just contacted me
0:17:32 > 0:17:36"for the history of that dog that supposedly was washed off the cliff
0:17:36 > 0:17:38"because it's just been registered."
0:17:38 > 0:17:42It appeared that the dog had never been washed off a rock and drowned.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43It was alive and well
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and had just registered with a new vet.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It's one thing for owners to attempt to pull the wool over insurer's eyes
0:17:50 > 0:17:55but what really gives pause for thought is the behaviour of dishonest vets.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Detective Constable Alex Cooley from IFED,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02the City of London's police Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04worked on one such case.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07His team was alerted to a pet insurance claim
0:18:07 > 0:18:10for veterinary work that appeared suspicious.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16We first received a referral from one of the insurance companies
0:18:16 > 0:18:18who had spotted the discrepancy
0:18:18 > 0:18:21between the work being claimed for by the vet
0:18:21 > 0:18:25and the fact that that type of work wasn't carried out by that practice.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It didn't add up
0:18:27 > 0:18:29and IFED carried out further enquiries.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34We identified another insurance company
0:18:34 > 0:18:37who had four suspicious claims coming from the same vet.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40The man in question was Francisco Cruz,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43a vet working at a practice in Norfolk.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45We were looking at five claims in total,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48involving both cats and dogs
0:18:48 > 0:18:51who were alleged to have chewed pieces of plastic,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54leading to medical difficulties and requiring expensive surgery.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59So, on average, the claims were coming out at about £2,500.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01The fact that all five claims
0:19:01 > 0:19:06were for a type of surgery that didn't take place at Cruz's workplace seemed suspicious,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08but more evidence was needed.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11When they looked into the identities of the policy holders,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14it seemed that they had the proof that they were after.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16The names that he was using
0:19:16 > 0:19:19were a hotchpotch of members of his family,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23but also his friends and even children of his friends.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26We couldn't detect any reason behind that,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28other than sort of imaginative laziness.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It turned out that every detail about the claims was false,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35even the pets themselves.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41The only element of truth was the fact that the vet was a real vet.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43So the vet was forging his invoices
0:19:43 > 0:19:46in respect of work which was never carried out
0:19:46 > 0:19:52and then he was making claims against the policies that he had totally made up,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54concerning these fake pets.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Cruz was abusing his position as a vet to pass off fake claims,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00but he hadn't covered his tracks
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and the IFED team had enough evidence to arrest him.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Cruz's motivation was clearly financial.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09In order to pay off certain debts,
0:20:09 > 0:20:14he was making a fake claim at a rate of one every year.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17In total, he made £10,000 from his offending.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The case eventually reached court and Cruz was found guilty.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26He was sentenced to a suspended eight-month jail term, 200 hours community service
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and ordered to pay £10,000 compensation.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But perhaps the greatest cost is to Cruz's professional reputation.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Gordon Hockey is Head Of Legal Services
0:20:37 > 0:20:39at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44the body that regulates every vet in the UK.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48All vets, on becoming members, make a declaration,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52in effect, to put the animals and the public first.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Where vets are dishonest, commit insurance fraud,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59that's clearly not putting animals first or the public first,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and it is taken seriously by the college.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05The vast majority of vets are law-abiding and honest,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07so this happens very rarely.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11The most severe sanction that the RCVS can impose on a vet
0:21:11 > 0:21:15is to take their name off the register, to strike them off the register,
0:21:15 > 0:21:20which means that they can't practise and therefore can't earn a living as a veterinary surgeon.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Today, the Met Traffic Unit has assembled for a briefing
0:21:29 > 0:21:33about a raid they're about to carry out on an accident management company.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- Basically, Operation- BLEEP- is around the active management company.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43The Insurance Fraud Bureau have identified several claims
0:21:43 > 0:21:47which can be described as suspicious circumstances.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52We need to do a bit of investigation into the legitimacy of the claims they seem to be handling.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56They've been given a tip-off by the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Basically, the intention will be to execute a search warrant at the address.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Accident management companies process claims
0:22:03 > 0:22:06on behalf of victims of road-traffic accidents.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09They organise hire vehicles, refer cases to lawyers
0:22:09 > 0:22:12and manage personal injury claims.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Unfortunately, there are examples of accident management companies acting fraudulently
0:22:17 > 0:22:20by inventing or inflating claims.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23The Met Traffic Unit is planning to execute a search warrant
0:22:23 > 0:22:25on the premises of an accident management company
0:22:25 > 0:22:31in the hope of collecting evidence to support their case of suspected fraud.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Once they've arrived at the location, they identify the premises
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and then move in as quickly as possible
0:22:37 > 0:22:42to make sure no-one escapes or tries to hide vital evidence.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45All right, mate. Got any ID on you? OK.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47The first thing they do is ask everyone for ID.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51The officers need to work out who's a client and an employee.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55But some of the people in the office appear to be holding back.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58I know how old I am. Why don't you know how old you are?
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- I'm 32.- You're sure you're 32?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- You're not going to change it?- No. - No? OK.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Others seem to be confused about their role at the company.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- What's your position here? - It's my brother's company.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- It's your brother's company?- Yes. - Do you work here?- I don't.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- You seem quite at home, with your coat off.- Huh? - You seem quite at home.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- I'm looking after it.- After who? - My brother's work.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24- Oh, so you do work here, then? - Sometimes I come here.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29- That's what I said. I said, "Do you work here?" You said "no". - I don't work. I sometimes come here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31The Traffic Unit needs to speak to the owner,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34but he isn't in the office and has left his brother in charge.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- I class what you've said as working here.- Sorry?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I class what you've said as you working here.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- No, I -- You're not just a person off the street, are you?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- No. - That's the point I'm trying to say.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We like to keep things simple.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- It just takes longer if we don't. - No problem.- Super.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Eventually, everyone has been checked and identified
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and most are allowed to leave.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00The job of collecting evidence can now get under way.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07As the team go through the premises, the sheer size of the task becomes apparent.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The office is stuffed full of cupboards and filing cabinets.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14One of the officers eventually will be taking the files out
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and we'll look at a later stage, when we've got a bit more time to spread it all out.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21We can't do it at the scene. It's just totally impractical.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Basically, we're just systematically going through,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29bagging up all the property so we don't miss anything,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and for continuity, as well.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36It does take a bit of time, but it's something which has got to be done properly.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Seven mobile telephones.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43The mobile phones could be an important piece of evidence, for a number of reasons.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45You can get lots of details off them.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49You can link them into different collisions, different false claims.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52You can also get an idea of who's working here
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and whose phone it ultimately belongs to.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Once they've been examined, we'll find out exactly what their involvement is.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00It may well be quite innocent,
0:25:00 > 0:25:05but you don't normally find bags of mobiles phones lying around.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10The owner of the company belated arrives at the scene.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The guy sitting behind me, erm, with the baseball cap
0:25:13 > 0:25:15is the owner of the premises.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17He's heard what's been going on,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21because his brother was here when we first entered the premises,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and he's come along to see what's going on
0:25:23 > 0:25:25and see us taking away his business.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29It's important to follow up all the suspected evidence
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and that includes keys to cars being stored or used for hire.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Everything centres around the fact
0:25:34 > 0:25:37that some claims for car hires,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40er, car-hiring storage, are believed to be fraudulent,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44so any of the vehicles are probably part of that, as well.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49They're part of the overall potentially criminal enterprise that we're looking at.
0:25:49 > 0:25:5330 keys here. There could be more.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So far, DC Tony Recchia is pleased with how well the raid is going.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00We've found the things that we were looking for.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02There are multiple registration documents,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06hundreds and hundreds of insurance claim forms,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10the usual mobile phones that he used in the claims.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Basically, it's a gold mine.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18DI Dave Hindmarsh has arrived at the location
0:26:18 > 0:26:20to oversee proceedings.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The team have come down to execute a search warrant
0:26:23 > 0:26:24and, as a result,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30there's been a large amount of property seized from the premises.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34The intention is, a lorry will arrive
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and we will load all of the seized property onto the lorry
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and in our leisure, we will sift through it
0:26:41 > 0:26:43to see which bits are evidence and which bits are not.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49The team isn't taking any chances and has seized a huge volume of potential evidence,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51leaving the office practically bare.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56It's been several months in the planning to get to the stage that we are now,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59meticulously looking through records
0:26:59 > 0:27:02and investigating in the background
0:27:02 > 0:27:04before we came out today.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07The challenge is now to take it away safely.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Four crates - that's exactly what we're dealing with here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Loads of property.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Once the crates are full,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18the team moves on to the next stage in the process.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21They're just heat-shrinking the packages
0:27:21 > 0:27:24to ensure the continuity and integrity of the exhibits.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27If they're heat-shrinked and documented at the scene,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30nobody can say that it's been tampered with, added or taken away.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32It's all been documented, what's gone in,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35so it's a good way of keeping stuff together.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It'll stay that way until they get opened and re-examined at a later stage.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44It's a really satisfying moment, watching all the bags being sealed.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We've got two large crates, they're being sealed up now,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50and three filing cabinets, all full of files.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55The sheer volume of work that's needed to trawl through the suspected evidence
0:27:55 > 0:27:59is proof of the Met Traffic Unit's commitment to stamping out fraud.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02They'll stop at nothing to make our roads safe.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd