0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28In this series I'm going to be investigating
0:00:28 > 0:00:31the world of criminals who make their money at your expense.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And I'm going to be showing you how not to get ripped off.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Coming up, the man who turned detective
0:00:38 > 0:00:43and caught the faker who stole his identity and £7,000.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Once I did capture him I thought, "Got the... B!"
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The fake power tools that could be in your garden shed
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and the people that put them there.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59They are actually linked to a highly dangerous Italian Mafia faction.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04And we meet the people conned into the fake lorry driver's course.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I felt empty, and just a bit lost, really,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09about the fact that what had been promised to me
0:01:09 > 0:01:13was just not there any more, and had in fact all been lies.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23On Fake Britain we've extensively covered the influx
0:01:23 > 0:01:26of fake alcohol that's been flooding Britain.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29You may think of it as a cheap drop of booze,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33but as we've seen time and time again, it's anything but harmless.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39This is the result of a fire set off by the manufacture of fake booze
0:01:39 > 0:01:42at an illegal alcohol factory in Lincolnshire.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45It killed five people that were making it.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's not just dangerous to the fakers.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49The lack of official safety standards,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53means dodgy liquor has killed people across the world.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00In a bid to disrupt the UK trade in bogus booze, this morning,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are in Peterborough.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Everyone, this operation today is a joint operation.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10We're going to be testing the compliance of revenue traders
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and retail outlets in the area.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18We're looking for goods where duty has not been paid.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20So cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24The problem of fake booze has escalated to such an extent
0:02:24 > 0:02:28that in some areas of the UK as many as one in four
0:02:28 > 0:02:30off licences are breaking the law.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35It's a crime wave that's costing the country £1.3 billion
0:02:35 > 0:02:39a year in lost taxes and could put your health at risk.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Trading standards are also looking at the possibility of revoking licenses.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46And if we come across counterfeit goods,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48they will be dealing with those.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50If there's no questions, let's get to it.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54First stop is this corner shop in Peterborough where Paul
0:02:54 > 0:02:59has already discovered Bacardi and whisky with fake labels.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01A couple of bottles here,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05one of the bottles has got a label which appears to be genuine.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08The other bottle has a label which is counterfeit.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And they appear to have removed the original label
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and put on their own label.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16There's signs of a change of label on there
0:03:16 > 0:03:22to suggest that it's a UK duty paid bottle when it clearly isn't.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25We've got a bottle of Bacardi rum here which indicates
0:03:25 > 0:03:27that it should have been for export,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29for the export market,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33but they've placed what appears to be a counterfeit duty stamp
0:03:33 > 0:03:37on the label to suggest that it's UK duty paid.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40For every 70 centilitre bottle of spirits, like whisky,
0:03:40 > 0:03:46sold with a fake label, the public purse is robbed of more than £7.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Suddenly, Paul gets a call about a discovery of more
0:03:51 > 0:03:54suspected fakes in a shop across town.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57That's genuine, it's nice and tight.
0:03:57 > 0:04:03This looks counterfeit, this Golden Virginia, definitely counterfeit.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05They're clearly not duty paid.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10And some of their goods here we believe are probably counterfeit.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's very difficult to tell sometimes
0:04:13 > 0:04:15whether or not we're dealing with counterfeit goods.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The packaging is often very high quality, which in turn means
0:04:19 > 0:04:22that the goods inside are likely to be very poor quality.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Paul believes there's a direct link between the gangs that
0:04:26 > 0:04:31smuggle counterfeit goods and other large scale organised crime.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Those who are involved in the selling of illicit tobacco
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and alcohol are also involved in things like people trafficking
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and drugs and other serious crime.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Later, more corner shops selling fake booze that could kill.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49This actually could be hazardous to health.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53It could have methanol in, it could have industrial alcohol.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06This is Steve Bloomfield, a roofer from Hemyock in Devon.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09He's only ever had one credit card in his life
0:05:09 > 0:05:13so when he got a bill from a credit card company saying
0:05:13 > 0:05:18he owed them more than £7,000, he was surprised and worried.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20They obviously thought I owed them that
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but I knew I owed them nothing at all.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The figure that I was potentially owing
0:05:26 > 0:05:29would come with another letter then,
0:05:29 > 0:05:35saying they've got 48 hours to act or the bailiffs would be arriving
0:05:35 > 0:05:38within 24 hours and final demands.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42The credit card company could only offer one explanation.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45She told me that somebody would be intercepting my mail
0:05:45 > 0:05:50is the way that this card would have been took out.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Steve was very concerned.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Someone had taken out a fake credit card in his name
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and racked up a debt of over £7,000.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01He was a victim of identity fraud.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I asked my neighbour just to keep an eye out
0:06:05 > 0:06:11if he did see anything, and sure enough, a black 4x4 pulled up
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and went into my property.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18What I did was I set a trap on my gate.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I just simply had a piece of concrete, a bit of stone,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and put on the corner of my gate here to make sure then
0:06:24 > 0:06:29that if somebody was coming into my mailbox, taking my mail,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33that the actual stone as you open the gate, the stone would move,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and then obviously when I would come home of an evening I would come back
0:06:36 > 0:06:40and have a look and I could see that the stone had been moved.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Steve's concerns about someone stealing his post
0:06:44 > 0:06:47had been confirmed, but he needed proof
0:06:47 > 0:06:49so he decided to turn detective.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Once we knew someone was definitely coming to my property
0:06:52 > 0:06:57I went to the local superstore and bought a CCTV little camera.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It's quite a simple little object which allowed me
0:07:03 > 0:07:08to put this in the gutter of my conservatory
0:07:08 > 0:07:11so it was filming directly two or three meters
0:07:11 > 0:07:13away from where my mailbox was.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17It done the job what I wanted it to do, basically.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21When I can home the second day
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and actually captured a person on there, it was, "Woah!"
0:07:25 > 0:07:29You almost know you want to capture somebody on the other hand,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33you're not really wanting to see somebody, if you now what I mean.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38Once I did capture somebody, I thought, "Got the... B!"
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Steve's DIY surveillance camera had captured the faker.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It was time to take his evidence to the police.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Alison Berry is a detective constable.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52When I first saw the CCTV footage that he brought in
0:07:52 > 0:07:56to the police station, I was actually quite amazed.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00He got right out of his car and went right into his post box.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It was obvious he was stealing his post.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Identity theft, in this form, I've not come it across before.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13And Steve's footage had not just captured the faker's face,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17he'd also recorded the man's car registration number.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Once the police actually had it, they looked at it and they could tell
0:08:21 > 0:08:28the plate from the footage, you know, so it was really good.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Using this information,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Alison was able to discover the identity of the faker.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39It was serial conman Kevin Castle, someone with 18 previous convictions
0:08:39 > 0:08:42for 72 offences as a faker.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46As we approached the house, there is quite a log driveway down
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and he was actually in one of the fields at the time
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and I immediately recognised him as being the person from the CCTV.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57A search of the property revealed Steve was not the only
0:08:57 > 0:09:00victim of credit card faker Castle.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03What we have here is the biscuit tin that was fond
0:09:03 > 0:09:07buried in the hedgerow in the back garden
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and inside this biscuit tin were all the documents.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13People's post and credit cards.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Kevin Castle had used the fake credit cards
0:09:17 > 0:09:20to pay for a life of luxury.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24It was a large house with some acreage of land, stable block
0:09:24 > 0:09:26and there were horses there.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The furnishings were, I would describe them as high spec.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32There wasn't anything cheap in that house.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Everything was best quality.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37There were several plasma TVs.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Horses, horse equipment quad bikes, just things like that,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44expensive items.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Kevin Castle had targeted a number of people
0:09:47 > 0:09:49whose post box was outside their property.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53His MO would be that he would obviously find a house
0:09:53 > 0:09:58that he thought was quite affluent and probably had good credit rating
0:09:58 > 0:10:03with a post box that would be away from the main house.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06He would then rummage through the post box and obtain
0:10:06 > 0:10:09either bank account details or personal details
0:10:09 > 0:10:12he would then do some research online
0:10:12 > 0:10:17and find out more information about the person as in date of birth.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20He'd then go online to the credit card companies,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23use all the details he'd obtained
0:10:23 > 0:10:25to fill in the online applications
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and then he would go back collect the card from the post box.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31He would know how long it would be before he PIN number arrived
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and he would go back and get then PIN number.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37But after Steve's crime busting camera work
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and Alison's investigation, credit card faker Kevin Castle
0:10:41 > 0:10:44was sentenced to four years for stealing £100,000.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Meanwhile, Steve has moved his post box.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Which unfortunately means our postman has to get out of his van
0:10:53 > 0:10:55and walk to our back door, now.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Power tools can be dangerous at the best of times
0:11:06 > 0:11:08but when they're fakes imported from China
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and being distributed in Britain, the results can be deadly.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Previously on Fake Britain we looked at fake chainsaws
0:11:16 > 0:11:18being sold in Dorset.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21They were cheap counterfeits of legitimate models
0:11:21 > 0:11:23made by German manufacturer Stihl.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26We took the fakes to an expert from Stihl,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and were shocked at the results.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Bar and chain comes back towards the operator at full speed.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Wherever it touches, face, shoulder or neck,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39is going to suffer a severe injury or possibly even death.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42This looks a very cheap plastic.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45In the pendulum test, this broke off.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50If that were to happen whilst somebody was using it,
0:11:50 > 0:11:56their hand could drop down onto the chain with severe consequences.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02We thought these Dorset fakes were just an isolated case
0:12:02 > 0:12:06but since then, there's been a major and deeply disturbing development.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Because it turns out the power tool fakers' tentacles
0:12:10 > 0:12:12stretch across Europe.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And not only might the power tools in your shed be fake,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18but the people that put them there, might very well be
0:12:18 > 0:12:23from Europe's most feared organised crime syndicate, the Mafia.
0:12:23 > 0:12:29This is just part of an 800 tonne haul of fake tools
0:12:29 > 0:12:32imported by the Camorra, southern Italy's Mafia.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Astonishingly, they and their fake power tool trade
0:12:36 > 0:12:40even visited the UK, as Chief Inspector Todd Clements
0:12:40 > 0:12:43of the Police Service of Northern Ireland discovered.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Well, we received a telephone call from a local resident
0:12:46 > 0:12:51to say that there were men trying to sell chainsaws door-to-door.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55They were swarthy skinned, Italian sounding
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and wearing black leather jackets and certainly offering a
0:12:59 > 0:13:01two-for-one on deal on Husqvarna chainsaws
0:13:01 > 0:13:04is certainly not something you get round here very often.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Having two southern Italian guys selling stuff in rural
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Northern Ireland is completely out of the norm.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I believe they were trying to sell them for about £430.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Buy one, get one free.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20International criminals require cross-border policing
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and Todd knew his counterpart in Belgium had already taken action
0:13:23 > 0:13:26against a crime gang selling the chainsaws in his country.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30We have good relations with Chris Van Steenkiste.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And it's through our links with Chris we alerted him
0:13:33 > 0:13:36to the fact that these chainsaws were being sold in rural Ulster.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Chris now works for Europol and he gave us the inside story
0:13:41 > 0:13:44on how the international counterfeiting ring was smashed.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47After some investigation,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49we found the place where it all started in Belgium
0:13:49 > 0:13:54and where the mastermind was preparing his sales
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and the trade to his Italian colleagues.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Stamping out the illicit trade in Belgium led to Chris
0:14:03 > 0:14:06discovering the same thing was happening across Europe.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10When we raided his premises, we seized a lot of goods,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13a lot of labels of famous brands.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16And we also found out that there were a lot of links to other
0:14:16 > 0:14:21countries like France, Germany, Spain, Poland and so on.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24In each country there was a mastermind
0:14:24 > 0:14:28sent out by the Camorra, that's the Mafia in Naples,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31that he would send out to each country.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33We also received one in Belgium.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37And he was organising the whole picture in a country.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40So he was responsible for everything.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I was in contact with my Northern Irish colleague.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And so he knew the phenomenon.
0:14:46 > 0:14:52And apparently, some minor cases popped up in Northern Ireland too.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And he immediately understood what was behind
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and could undertake some measures.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02They initially tried to tell us that they were just cheap chainsaws
0:15:02 > 0:15:06but after we did our enquiries with Husqvarna, and with Europol,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10it was quite evident that they were counterfeit and they made admissions
0:15:10 > 0:15:13in relation to the fact that they were counterfeit.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16These men were arrested and were later convicted of the offences.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18While Todd swiftly dealt
0:15:18 > 0:15:21with the chainsaw-selling Camorra on his patch,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24in Europe, careful planning was required
0:15:24 > 0:15:26to close down the counterfeiters.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30A joint operation led by Europol and Eurojust, in Europe,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32in 10 different countries.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37And some 800 tonnes of goods were seized.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41800 tonnes of goods were, of course, not only chainsaws,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45but we found drill hammers, we found power tools,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49screwdrivers, fake knives and so on.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Seven criminals were arrested, 11 million assets
0:15:53 > 0:16:01were confiscated and four million euros on bank accounts was blocked.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06The chainsaws weren't just fake, they were also extremely dangerous.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07It will function as a chainsaw
0:16:07 > 0:16:12but a number of the safety features on Husqvarna chainsaws are missing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15And so it could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The fakes being sold in Ulster are almost identical
0:16:18 > 0:16:21to the fake chainsaws we previously found in Dorset.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23They have similar safety features missing.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27Luckily, Europol officers
0:16:27 > 0:16:29took swift action against the power tool fakers.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34These are the Camorra leaders behind the deadly trade in fakes
0:16:34 > 0:16:36being led out of their lair in handcuffs
0:16:36 > 0:16:40by the Italian financial and fraud police.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Criminal organisations,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47they don't sell fake goods because they love a Louis Vuitton bag.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50No. They sell the fake goods because they know
0:16:50 > 0:16:54they can earn even more money than selling drugs, cocaine and so on.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57We're trying to show the link in Northern Ireland
0:16:57 > 0:17:01between counterfeit products and both organised crime and terrorism.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04That they're not just sold by well-meaning Del Boys
0:17:04 > 0:17:05to make a few pounds
0:17:05 > 0:17:09but they are actually linked through to the Camorra,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11a highly dangerous Italian Mafia faction.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Fake Britain has been out with the teams
0:17:20 > 0:17:22cracking down on the explosion of fake booze
0:17:22 > 0:17:26finding its way into the nation's corner shops.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Here in Brighton,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31fake spirits have been a serious problem for about a year.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34We're out with Trading Standards officer Catriona Macbeth
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and police licensing officer Lara Baldwin.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40The first of today's raids is the result of a tip-off.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44We've had some intel so we're going to go and have a look
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and we're going to have a look at their spirits.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51One of the reasons we're here today
0:17:51 > 0:17:54is obviously just to do a general licensing check.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56We also want to have a look at your alcohol
0:17:56 > 0:17:59to see what alcohol you're selling at the moment as well.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Just as in Peterborough, the team are looking for fake duty labels
0:18:04 > 0:18:06because if you can't trust the label,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10how can you have any faith that the spirit inside won't be faked
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and even dangerous to health?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It's very important that we do tackle this.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Potentially, bottles can look very, very genuine
0:18:18 > 0:18:21but it's harmful to health and that's what we tackle.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Fake vodka is cheap and easy to produce
0:18:24 > 0:18:28which is why it's so high up the list of fakers' favourites.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33But now even relatively exotic drinks like the Turkish spirit raki
0:18:33 > 0:18:36can be found with fake duty labels.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40We've got two different types of raki which the issues
0:18:40 > 0:18:46here are that the duty stamps are actually false, they're fake,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50so again it indicates duty and VAT hasn't been paid.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So these are going away with me.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58Cat and Lara leave the shop with as many as eight bottles of raki,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01as well as the more familiar haul of 16 bottles of vodka,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04a drink we've seen faked before.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Before they do though, there are further checks that need to be done.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11So the reason why we're shaking the bottles;
0:19:11 > 0:19:14sometimes if they've used screen wash or other chemicals
0:19:14 > 0:19:19and we shake it, it will stay frothy for quite a long time,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22but there's nothing to indicate there's a problem with that.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26One of the reasons Cat is suspicious about these bottles of vodka
0:19:26 > 0:19:30is that yet again they have fake duty stamps on the back,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but how can she tell that they're not the real deal?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36So I've just lightly scratched the duty stamp
0:19:36 > 0:19:39and what's happened is the fluorescent has lifted off
0:19:39 > 0:19:43so you can see the blue underneath.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44It shouldn't do that.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The duty stamp number's false
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and also the actual duty stamps themselves are false.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52You know, it's worrying.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It's worrying because this isn't something you can do at home.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57This level of sophistication
0:19:57 > 0:20:01indicates the involvement of organised crime.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05The format of a duty stamp is quite difficult to replicate
0:20:05 > 0:20:10or to falsify and the counterfeiters are getting it so good now.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It used to be that they were unable to get the stamps to fluoresce
0:20:13 > 0:20:17now they're actually being able to produce duty stamps
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and labels that fluoresce correctly.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- I can prove everything to you. That is there, now.- OK.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- There's everything there. I haven't done anything wrong.- OK.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30With booze flying out of the door without anyone buying it,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33the shopkeeper's starting to get hot under the collar.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I need you to take a deep breath and stop talking so much, all right?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Cat has good reason to be taking these bottles away.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Everything is false, there's also no known address for the producer
0:20:46 > 0:20:49so we don't know where it's actually made.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And the problems are this actually could be hazardous to health,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55it could have methanol in, it could have industrial alcohol.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58We won't know until we actually send it off to the public analyst.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02It's also duty evaded so it's smuggled.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07Cat believes she knows the reason behind the boom in fake booze.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Smuggled alcohol, there's more money in that now
0:21:10 > 0:21:13than there is in dealing with illegal drugs
0:21:13 > 0:21:16so a lot of the organised crime the gangs have moved
0:21:16 > 0:21:22from drugs to actually importing and distributing the smuggled alcohol.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Next stop, a shop Cat's had problems with before.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It's quite a small shop so it doesn't appear to have an awful lot
0:21:31 > 0:21:35of stock but they have got a massive stock room down in the basement.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39So we're going to be going down and having a look at that as well.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42We might find stuff down there that we don't find in the shop.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I'm Cat Macbeth from Trading Standards.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50We need to do a licensing check...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53While Cat checks the bottles on the shelves,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Lara is off into the storeroom to hunt for illicit alcohol.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Alarm bells are ringing.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Lara's worried about the whisky she's found
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and hands it over to Cat for a closer inspection.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It gives the impression it's Scottish whisky.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11The name, the labelling, the name of the producer
0:22:11 > 0:22:13and the address is in Scotland.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18But this is actually a fake whisky, it's not produced in this country,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20it's definitely never seen Scotland.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Made elsewhere and I'm aware that there have been issues
0:22:23 > 0:22:26with this and it can't legally be sold as a whisky.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30So we're going to be seizing this because it isn't whisky, it's fake.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Across the UK the Scotch Whisky industry
0:22:33 > 0:22:37supports as many as 45,000 jobs
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and it accounts for a quarter of all our food and drink exports,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43making it a massive earner for the UK.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48Fake whisky like this is a real attack on Britain's finances.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And the fake whisky isn't the only thing confiscated.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56Cat and Lara also take away 17 bottles of vodka
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and six bottles of gin.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02All the shops claimed they weren't aware they were selling fakes.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05We've been coming up with quite a major theme
0:23:05 > 0:23:08of a lot of bottles of spirits where the duty stamps are fake.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13So it could be something in there that's really, really dangerous
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and potentially could kill somebody.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19To discover how big Britain's fake booze problem really is,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22we went to meet public analyst Paul Hancock.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26He's sent bottles by trading standards officers
0:23:26 > 0:23:28from all over the country.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31In the last six months we've seen an explosion in the number
0:23:31 > 0:23:34of fake spirits that have come in to the laboratory, mostly vodkas.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I would say probably last year we may have only analysed
0:23:37 > 0:23:40about 20 samples and this year it will be up over 100 and
0:23:40 > 0:23:43each one of those samples represents potentially a batch
0:23:43 > 0:23:46of fake drink that is released on to the market
0:23:46 > 0:23:49for the average consumer to drink.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And while the price from your pocket may be smaller,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56the cost to your health from consuming these drinks
0:23:56 > 0:23:57could be enormously high.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01You only have to drink tiny amounts of cheap industrial alcohol
0:24:01 > 0:24:03to cause yourself real damage.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05If you consume neat methanol
0:24:05 > 0:24:08then that's very harmful to your health.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12And it would only take approximately 10mls, which is less than one shot,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15of this substance to actually start causing you damage to your eyes.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19And 20 to 25ml, so the level that's typically in one shot,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23is potentially enough to cause death.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Later, we're back with HM Revenue and Customs,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29cracking down on the smuggling rackets
0:24:29 > 0:24:32trying to flood the country with fake booze.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35They were making a delivery of what looks like wine,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37beer and possibly spirits.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Car clamping might be one of the most unpopular professions
0:24:47 > 0:24:52in Britain, but at least most of its practitioners operate legitimately.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56But while it's one thing getting clamped because you parked somewhere
0:24:56 > 0:24:59you're not allowed to, it's another thing altogether
0:24:59 > 0:25:02when you're clamped illegally by a rogue clamping company
0:25:02 > 0:25:05whose only motive is taking hundreds of thousands of pounds
0:25:05 > 0:25:08of our money to line their pockets.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Helen May works in the operating theatre
0:25:11 > 0:25:13of her local hospital in Worcester.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I was going to a night out with some friends from my work
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and we parked the car to go out for a meal,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23not far from the city centre in Worcester,
0:25:23 > 0:25:29and as we got out we checked that there was no parking restrictions.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I was quite happy where I'd left the car.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34But Midlands Parking Contracts,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37not to be confused with any company of a similar name,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41weren't so happy with where she'd parked and decided to clamp her.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45They said they gave fair warning they were operating on the site,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but in fact, they'd placed their warning sign
0:25:48 > 0:25:50so high on the wall that no one could see it.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Then about two hours later we came back and I'd been clamped.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57I was very angry. There was two of them there.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02There was one very, very big built man who never actually spoke
0:26:02 > 0:26:05but the fact that he was there was intimidating enough.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09I also didn't know if they were legit because they were
0:26:09 > 0:26:12a little bit dishevelled looking, a little bit dirty looking,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and I thought, "I don't know if these guys are real or not.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17"Am I being robbed?"
0:26:17 > 0:26:22Helen's friend went to get £125 to pay the clampers.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24When she came back, one of the chaps,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27he just lunged forward grabbed the money out of her hand.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30And of course all the time I'm thinking,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32"This is robbery, this is robbery."
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I couldn't get over it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39We were both left stunned and upset, both of us upset.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44I was frightened, I was frightened, no doubt about it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Midlands Parking Contracts even targeted people
0:26:47 > 0:26:49that shouldn't be clamped at all.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Lesley Bridgewater is registered disabled and uses a wheelchair.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Her car was first clamped
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and then towed away as she slept at her partner's home.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02It was in the morning when he got up ready for work
0:27:02 > 0:27:06that he opened the front door and asked where my car had gone.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09After calling the police, she discovered
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Midlands Parking Contracts had removed her car.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I shouldn't have had the car lifted.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17My blue badge was on show,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20there's a stick in the back of the car
0:27:20 > 0:27:24and plus it's on the tax disc as well that the car is a disabled car,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28a mobility car, and they still lifted it.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Clampers operate under licence from the Security Industry Authority
0:27:33 > 0:27:37but they can lose their licence if they clamp or remove a car
0:27:37 > 0:27:40when the owner is displaying a blue badge.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44That didn't stop Midlands Parking Contracts lifting Lesley's car.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48And without it, it was a struggle for her to get home.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Then when I got here I took some painkillers
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and then I started phoning,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57still upset that my car had been lifted
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and I'm thinking, "Well, why has it been lifted?"
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I had to phone up the clampers
0:28:04 > 0:28:09and they told me it's £335.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Well, it was just a sinking feeling because I hadn't got that money
0:28:13 > 0:28:18and I'm thinking, "Well, where am I going to get the money from?"
0:28:18 > 0:28:24Getting upset, I was crying, I had to phone family
0:28:24 > 0:28:27to see if they could help me and my friends.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31They all rallied around for me and got it and then I'm thinking,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33"How am I going to pay them back?"
0:28:33 > 0:28:36The way she did that was to spend less money
0:28:36 > 0:28:39on essentials like food and heating.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Because I'm missing meals, I need to have a meal because of the tablets
0:28:43 > 0:28:48I take so I was taking tablets on an empty stomach I was feeling sick, I was going dizzy
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and I was just sitting upstairs crying my eyes out.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55I thought, "This is all them, this is really all them."
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And I'd just go to bed every night crying.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03How could they sleep every night, knowing that you've deprived
0:29:03 > 0:29:08a disabled person of a vehicle that she needs to get out and about?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10I said, how can you do it?
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Lesley and Helen are just two of the 1,500 people
0:29:14 > 0:29:16who contacted police
0:29:16 > 0:29:19to complain about Midland Parking Contracts' fines.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Detective Sergeant Mark Roberts spoke to the fakers' victims.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26As soon as the motorist was leaving their vehicle
0:29:26 > 0:29:29and out of the line of site, they would jump out of their vans
0:29:29 > 0:29:33run over and be putting clamps onto the vehicle.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Sometimes the motorist would park for such an insignificant
0:29:36 > 0:29:40amount of time that by the time they returned back to their vehicle,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42the clamper was still putting or trying to secure the clamp
0:29:42 > 0:29:44to the wheel of their car.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Charging fake fines for clamping is illegal
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and earlier this year six people from the company
0:29:51 > 0:29:54were convicted of conspiracy to defraud.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58The fraud they've committed is false representation.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01They've put themselves up as a legitimate business
0:30:01 > 0:30:05and the false representation is that they're recovering
0:30:05 > 0:30:09inflated amounts of money when they were not entitled to do so.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12One of the clampers even used a fake name
0:30:12 > 0:30:14to try and throw the police off the trail.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16But Mark's hard work paid off.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21We were able to identify all of the managers and the people
0:30:21 > 0:30:25practising clamping techniques for Midlands Parking Contracts.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29All six defendants were convicted of fraud and all six
0:30:29 > 0:30:33received custodial sentences which we were incredibly pleased with.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Whether it's the big wheels or promise of a steady,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47in demand profession, getting a heavy goods vehicle licence
0:30:47 > 0:30:50to become a trucker is an increasingly popular job option
0:30:50 > 0:30:54that attracts thousands of new recruits every year.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Only thing is, to get one, you've got to be trained
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and then pass a test.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02And if the training course you take turns out to be a fake,
0:31:02 > 0:31:07you'll have paid thousands of pounds for absolutely nothing.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Chris Orange had already had a taste of life as a trucker
0:31:11 > 0:31:14when he decided to retrain as a lorry driver.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18He thought it could provide him with the job security he was looking for.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21My uncle is a lorry driver, as a kid I used to go away on trips with him.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I used to really enjoy that. And it was just the laugh of it all,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29getting to see different places, obviously driving the big truck.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Johannes Meyer also wanted a UK HGV licence,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35and went looking for a suitable training company
0:31:35 > 0:31:40that would guide him through an unfamiliar system in a new country.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44I used to be a HGV driver in South Africa.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46We had a family business.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50But the licence in South Africa doesn't apply in the UK,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52so I had to redo it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:57But it was Johannes' wife Angela who arranged the training.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01I'm the force behind, you know, the marriage, basically.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03- Oh, are you? - Yes, I am.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07That's amazing, I never knew that. Oh, I was sort of aware of that.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12And so I decided that it's time for him to do his licences,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14he needs to start working.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Chris, Johannes and Angela, chose as their training company
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Highlife LGV Ltd based in Canary Wharf in London.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25They were just some of hundreds of people
0:32:25 > 0:32:28attracted by the company's advertising.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30I did a Google search,
0:32:30 > 0:32:35and at the top of every search in Google was Highlife LGV.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The way it was marketed was that you would sign up for them, initially.
0:32:39 > 0:32:45You'd pay the full amount to them, which I think was £3,500.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49They would book the first part of the course, the theory test.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Once you'd done that, they would then book the second part,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54the driving test.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57They had good connections with lots of different companies,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59and there was a guaranteed job at the end of it.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Which was what drew me to the company.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04It just seemed like a very easy way to get into
0:33:04 > 0:33:06the job of being a truck driver.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Angela came across Highlife LGV online.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13She purchased a package she thought would take the worry
0:33:13 > 0:33:15out of the training process.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18That cost £2,597.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22It was a massive decision for us because it was a lot of money.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25And there was a lot of pressure on us, basically.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29So it was very tough at that stage.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Money was tight for the young married couple
0:33:32 > 0:33:34starting life in a new country
0:33:34 > 0:33:38so they paid for the course using a credit card.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41With debts to pay, they needed Johannes to start earning
0:33:41 > 0:33:43so they were desperate for him
0:33:43 > 0:33:47to move through the process as fast as possible.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50So basically, we phoned them up to book his theory test.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54He studied, obviously, and he got 98%.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57So he really passed, you know, quite well.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Chris also got off to a flying start with his theory test.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I turned up at the centre, was quite nervous about the test.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08But at the same time, quite excited because of what they'd told me
0:34:08 > 0:34:12this was the first step in going into a new job.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I'd done so much work for it that I passed it first time.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19But after this strong start worries soon began to surface
0:34:19 > 0:34:22as the trainee lorry drivers moved from the inexpensive
0:34:22 > 0:34:26theory test to the expensive driving lessons.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29My boss at that time well, I promised him
0:34:29 > 0:34:35that I would get my HGV licence so I could start driving trucks for him.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38So he's waiting for me to get my HGV licence,
0:34:38 > 0:34:43and I'm waiting for Highlife LGV to, you know,
0:34:43 > 0:34:48to put the wheels in motion so that we can get it done.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Those wheels were moving very slowly
0:34:51 > 0:34:53and Chris was having similar problems.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55I was then on the phone to them the same day, saying,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58"Yes, I've just passed the theory test,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00"when can I get on and do the driving part?
0:35:00 > 0:35:03"Because I want to do the driving part now."
0:35:03 > 0:35:06But I didn't hear anything concrete, and that's when the problems started.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10The phone number that I had for them was disconnected.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12The money had gone, there was no course,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14no-one was answering the phones.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I was frustrated.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20I felt empty and just a bit lost, really,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24about the fact that what had been promised to me
0:35:24 > 0:35:28was just not there any more, and had in fact all been lies.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31We started realising, "No, something's massively wrong.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32"You know, we need to try
0:35:32 > 0:35:35"and get hold of somebody that can actually help us."
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It was becoming clear the training courses
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Highlife LGV were offering were fakes.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44With nowhere else to turn, Chris, Johannes and Angela
0:35:44 > 0:35:47contacted the local Trading Standards.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51We started receiving complaints from consumers about a business
0:35:51 > 0:35:54offering large goods vehicle training.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56We received at least 90 complaints.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58But that's always an underestimate
0:35:58 > 0:36:01because not every person complains to us.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04So we would have probably estimate it would have been 400 to 500.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06They were getting a theory test
0:36:06 > 0:36:10but they weren't getting the expensive part of the deal
0:36:10 > 0:36:14which was the practical training at the driving centres.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Chris had a special reason to regret
0:36:16 > 0:36:19ever getting involved with Highlife LGV.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23A large proportion of the money that I used was left to me
0:36:23 > 0:36:25by my dad who'd passed away.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28I think he wanted me to use it when I was old enough and wise enough
0:36:28 > 0:36:32to use it for something that was useful and productive.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And so that's what I thought I was spending the money on.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38And then spending the money on something that actually turned
0:36:38 > 0:36:44into nothing was devastating in the end, because it wasn't my money.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47And that was what made it very difficult to deal with.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50For Chris, it was the end of a dream.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56All the stress of getting ripped off, losing all that money,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59just completely turned me off the whole idea.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02And I just didn't want to do it any more, basically.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Not being able to afford the fees
0:37:04 > 0:37:06and having to put the cost on a credit card
0:37:06 > 0:37:10turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Johannes and Angela.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14After we got our money back from the credit card company,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16we went on and I got my licences,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and I'm now a fully qualified lorry driver.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Highlife LGV is no longer trading
0:37:24 > 0:37:28and the owner was successfully prosecuted.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Fake alcohol is a massive, international criminal trade.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40The world's largest organised crime gangs
0:37:40 > 0:37:44are involved in it and it earns them billions every year.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48And while you might think it's not something that affects you,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51in fact, it's all too possible that you could be coming
0:37:51 > 0:37:55face to face with it when you go shopping at your local corner shop.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Out to disrupt this criminal trade
0:37:58 > 0:38:00are Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Today, they're hitting the customer-facing side
0:38:04 > 0:38:08of the fake booze business in Brighton, checking shop shelves.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12They've barely started and already they've found more fake whisky.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Right, I'm leaving you a visit note.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17The Dexter's whiskey can't legally be sold.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22It can't legally be sold because this Spanish concoction
0:38:22 > 0:38:26is fake whisky and about as Scottish as a chorizo playing the castanets.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32This particular bottle of whisky that we've been detaining
0:38:32 > 0:38:35this morning, it's an issue for Trading Standards
0:38:35 > 0:38:38and they'll be taking it away to have a look at it.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41We're just going to another shop now,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44because we think the team have got counterfeit alcohol.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Probably counterfeit vodka.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48So we're just going to go in and have a look.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Well, what we've got here is Soviet vodka,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56which is not a well-known UK brand.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59And when you look at the bottles, there are no duty paid stamps on it.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02So that is a very good indication that it has been smuggled
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and it will be counterfeit.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07So we will be seizing this from the shopkeeper.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Sometimes they won't be openly on display.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15But they'll have the counterfeit goods, or the smuggled goods,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17under the counter.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21I think we've seized approximately six cases,
0:39:21 > 0:39:2336 bottles of vodka.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25It wasn't on sale. But that's not surprising.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28It could be that the shopkeeper was due to sell them
0:39:28 > 0:39:31but hadn't priced them up and put them on the shelves.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35But often when we go into shops, we find that the illegal goods,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38whether it's tobacco or alcohol,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40are often kept and hidden under the counter
0:39:40 > 0:39:42and are sold to regular customers.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47But it looks like the fake vodka isn't just for sale in one shop.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51At another location in the town, they've found another six bottles.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56It's exactly the same as we found before in another shop in Brighton
0:39:56 > 0:39:57earlier on this morning.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01So the chances are that whoever is supplying it may very well be
0:40:01 > 0:40:04touting it around the shops in Brighton and offering it for sale.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09While the authorities do all they can to get fake and non-duty paid
0:40:09 > 0:40:14alcohol out of the shops, what they really want is to cut off
0:40:14 > 0:40:17supply from the organised criminals that peddle it to small shops.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22And today, it looks like they may be about to get a lucky break.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Just as we arrived at this particular shop, a white van arrived
0:40:26 > 0:40:29and lo and behold, inside the white van they were making a delivery
0:40:29 > 0:40:34of what looks like wine, beer and possibly spirits.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37The authorities suspect the person driving this van
0:40:37 > 0:40:41will be the middleman in a much larger smuggling operation.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45In this case they're not convinced by what he's told them.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47The operational officer who spoke to the man
0:40:47 > 0:40:50works undercover and can't be shown.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52A very shaky story, really.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56The guy delivering it says he picked it up basically in the street, a lorry site in Barking.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Nothing more to say than that.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Spoke to the owner. Hasn't got much more to say. Says he knew the bloke.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04He approached him around Christmas time. Cheap wine.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06This is the first delivery.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09He hasn't paid for it. He hasn't got any paperwork.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12So as it stands, seize the goods, seize the vehicle.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16The HMRC officer's suspicions were raised by a large
0:41:16 > 0:41:20quantity of wine being delivered in a hired van.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24This is the wine. This is part of what was in the van earlier on.
0:41:24 > 0:41:30There's a lot of spirits and beer and wine still left in the van.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32And it's not just the wine causing concern.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Part of the load we've got here are bottles of Glen's vodka.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Now, looking at the bottle and looking at the labels,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42the labels are pretty definitely fake.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44They are counterfeit labels.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47It could be that they're putting counterfeit duty paid labels
0:41:47 > 0:41:49on smuggled vodka,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52which means that obviously the duty hasn't been paid,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54which makes them cheaper potentially at retail.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59But certainly these will be fake, because they're fake labels.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03The fake labelling equipment behind these bottles doesn't come cheap.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07To put them together takes large, organised crime outfits.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It's part of the reason the authorities crack down
0:42:09 > 0:42:12so hard on all sides of this trade.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17Activity like this is happening in every town and city in the UK.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20It's a good end to a good day
0:42:20 > 0:42:22fighting the battle against Britain's fake booze.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25We've visited a large number of shops in the Brighton area.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27We've made a large number of seizures.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30We've seized things like counterfeit vodka
0:42:30 > 0:42:34and we've seized vodka with counterfeit labels on the bottles.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Yet more proof Britain is facing a tsunami of fake booze,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40sometimes dangerous to your health,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43and always designed to line the pockets of criminals
0:42:43 > 0:42:46who don't want to pay their taxes.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd