0:00:02 > 0:00:07Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In this series, I'm going to be investigating
0:00:27 > 0:00:31the world of the 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 > 0:00:41Coming up, the shop assistant who came face-to-face with a fake firefighter.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45He just took it from his pocket and just pointed at me.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Corner shops selling fake booze that could kill.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53As you can see, we have a peak for chloroform.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It could potentially cause cancer.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12Here on Fake Britain, we're no stranger to the production and distribution of fake booze.
0:01:12 > 0:01:18But as more of us buy our evening tipple from our local stores, the fakers are cashing in.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21In a racket worth a billion pounds a year, fake booze is being sold
0:01:21 > 0:01:26up and down the country - and it's coming to a corner shop near you.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Here's a sobering statistic - Staffordshire Trading Standards
0:01:29 > 0:01:34say one in five corner shops in the county is selling fake alcohol.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38But Darren Mountford and Mark Wilson from Staffordshire Trading Standards
0:01:38 > 0:01:40are having none of it.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45They're on a mission to crack down on the fake booze being sold on your doorstep.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Many illicit alcohol products are produced on an industrial scale
0:01:49 > 0:01:52at distilleries in warehouses, etc,
0:01:52 > 0:01:58And just basically distributed through local retailers,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00potentially through white vans and the like.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Today, they're hitting a number of local corner shops
0:02:04 > 0:02:06which have previously sold fake alcohol.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12My name's Mark Wilson, Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16We're here for a routine inspection of your alcoholic products.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Darren and Mark quickly get to work
0:02:18 > 0:02:21examining the shop's stock of alcohol.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28With thousands of fake booze bottles potentially on display in corner shops like this,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32they need to be spotted and seized as quickly as possible.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Luckily for Mark and Darren, they have some new technology at their fingertips.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40This ultraviolet light immediately spots fakes.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Under the lamp, a legitimate UK duty stamp should fluoresce,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46or glow green or yellow.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49A fake sticker won't do anything at all.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53It's not long before the gadget detects a suspect bottle of vodka.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56This duty paid marker is not fluorescing
0:02:56 > 0:02:59when we expose it to a UV lamp.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04But that's not the only thing that's raised Darren's suspicions.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09You can see by the label here, it's not squared, it's off kilter.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13You can also see here by the state of the label,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18it's bubbled on the front, it's not been put on with any great care, as you would expect.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It's torn here, and it's those indicators which have given us
0:03:21 > 0:03:25reasonable cause to believe that this product is illicit.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Trading Standards are concerned that fake vodka could contain
0:03:29 > 0:03:32high levels of methanol an ingredient used to make anti-freeze,
0:03:32 > 0:03:37and harmful to humans if ingested in large quantities.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41If it contained methanol, it would be unfit for human consumption.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Members of the public wouldn't be aware of any of the issues around this product.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49And where this product exists, it needs taking out of the supply chain.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54Darren and Mark find a suspiciously understated bottle of vodka,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56which is also cause for concern.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They won't be needing the UV scanner for this one.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03This bottle we've picked up here contains no duty stamp.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07And also, there's no details on the back of it
0:04:07 > 0:04:11concerning who makes it, so we'll seize this today.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15For Darren and Mark, it's enough to confiscate the suspect stock.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It's a good start to the day, but there's no time to hang around.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25There's an epidemic of fake booze sweeping across the county,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and Darren and Mark have had a busy month so far.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33We've seized in excess of 1,200 bottles of spirit,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38and I think we're looking at currently having inspected
0:04:38 > 0:04:42round about 350, 370 premises.
0:04:44 > 0:04:50If 20% of the shops in the area could be selling fake booze,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Darren and Mark have their work cut out checking as many premises as they can.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The officers head off to yet another shop.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We're just here today to conduct a routine inspection
0:05:01 > 0:05:03to check some of your alcohol products.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09They begin a thorough search of all the bottles of alcohol stored in the shop.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Everything seems fine, until Mark spots something out of the ordinary.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16This particular product is known as Drops Vodka.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It's one we have intelligence about as being a illicit production.
0:05:19 > 0:05:25Real vodka is made by the distillation of fermented grains or potatoes.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27But although this bottle looks like vodka,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and the label says it's vodka, Mark knows it's not vodka.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37The liquid isn't distilled and it contains industrial solvents and methanol.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43During the distillation process, it won't go through the normal quality control procedures
0:05:43 > 0:05:48so chemicals and traces will be left in there which would normally be taken out of a genuine brand.
0:05:48 > 0:05:55Drops Vodka is actually a known fake brand of vodka set up by the bootleggers themselves.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59You wouldn't want to be doing shots of this on a night out.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01As you can see, when I tip the bottle upside down,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03there's floating particles and debris.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06It's indicative of poor manufacturing processes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's one that we suspect of containing high levels of methanol
0:06:09 > 0:06:14and there's obviously a public safety, public health aspect to that.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18The fake vodka could contain chemicals harmful to human health.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23It's a serious enough discovery for Mark and Darren to confiscate the fake vodka.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27The bottles are bagged, tagged, and taken away for further analysis.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30It's been a good day's work so far, with several bottles
0:06:30 > 0:06:35of the suspect alcohol from different shops now off the shelves.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41But suddenly, a call comes in from another trading standards team.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43They've also been out on the hunt for fake alcohol.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49They've been searching a shop - a big shop - and they need a helping hand.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55There's a lot here. We're certainly going to take a fair bit of product away.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00The team are finding counterfeit alcohol left, right and centre.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04So it's all hands on deck and ultraviolet lights are out in force.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08They've found some suspect bottles of Smirnoff vodka -
0:07:08 > 0:07:13a widely-recognised brand which has fallen victim to the fakers.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18It's very poor quality labels on these products, no fluorescence,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21so that would lead to me to believe it's a counterfeit product.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Prince Consort is a genuine brand of vodka, but worryingly,
0:07:26 > 0:07:32fake versions like this of it have been known to carry potential health risks.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35We've had previous seizures in Staffordshire in the last couple of weeks.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37This is a product we are already aware of,
0:07:37 > 0:07:42and have confirmed intelligence to suggest it contains high levels of methanol.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This product needs to come off sale today.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Overall, it's a great haul for the team,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and a lot of fake booze off the shelves.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It's probably one of the bigger finds that we've found.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Interestingly enough, it's varying brands. It's a good hit so far, yes.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03In total, the team have seized 81 suspect bottles of alcohol from this shop alone.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Of particular concern are the Drops Vodka and the fake Prince Consort Vodka,
0:08:11 > 0:08:16which could contain high levels of methanol or other dangerous chemicals.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Later, we find out exactly what is inside these seized bottles of alcohol
0:08:22 > 0:08:24that you might have bought and drunk!
0:08:34 > 0:08:40Most of us think of a person in uniform as someone we can instinctively trust.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Someone we can call on for help in an emergency,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46or someone who'll call on us to make sure that we're OK.
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Whether it's a police officer or a firefighter, people in uniform are there to make us feel protected.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58But what if the firefighter you thought was there to help you
0:08:58 > 0:09:01was actually a fake firefighter who wanted to rob you?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Bagavathur Kalainathan, known as "Kalai" to his friends,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13left the political violence of his home country, Sri Lanka,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16to build what he thought would be a safe and happy life in Britain.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I wanted to just get away from all the troubles and I want to live nice and peacefully.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25That's why I came to this country.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Kalai began his new life in Dagenham in Essex,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32where he found himself a steady job
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and quickly settled into his daily routine as a shop assistant in a convenience store.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But that daily routine was about to be turned upside down.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47I was standing by the main till and I was just calculating the money
0:09:47 > 0:09:48to close the shift and everything.
0:09:48 > 0:09:55Unexpectedly, a firefighter then arrived, saying he was there to check the alarms in the store.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I was standing in that position over there and this guy walks in through the door
0:10:01 > 0:10:02and says, "I want to check the fire alarm."
0:10:02 > 0:10:06He then asked for the sensors to be checked.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10It's not uncommon for a shop's fire alarms to be checked out
0:10:10 > 0:10:12by someone who knows what they're doing.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Today, for Kalai, that trusted person was someone he thought was a firefighter,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19so he thought nothing of showing him round the shop.
0:10:19 > 0:10:26I just showed him all the sensors, I just took him all over.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Kalai showed the firefighter all of the sensors on the ceilings around the whole shop.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38But finally, the firefighter asked to be shown the office at the back of the store.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40So we just came in,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42into the office,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and he was standing like this, and he just closed the door.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Kalai will remember what happened next for the rest of his life.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57He just took it from his pocket and just pointed at me.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Despite convincing appearances,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04this firefighter was in fact a fake firefighter,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08an armed robber in an elaborate disguise, looking for money.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Yeah, I was scared when he pointed at me. He said, "Open the safe, mate."
0:11:13 > 0:11:17And I said, "We don't have a safe."
0:11:17 > 0:11:22And he just kept pointing at me and asked me to get the money
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and I said, "I don't have any, the boss just took it."
0:11:25 > 0:11:26But I lied.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29But Kalai's attempts to throw the thief off the scent
0:11:29 > 0:11:32of the shop's hard-earned money weren't enough.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Then he was just looking through the tables and other stuff.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And he found it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The fake firefighter had found what he had come looking for.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45He got away with £2,000, or two bundles of £1,000,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48which I kept after counting, ready for the end of the day.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51So he just got hold of it and went.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57And he was prepared to go to chilling lengths to make a clean getaway with the stolen cash.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58He put me in the chair
0:11:58 > 0:12:03and he said, "Don't move. If you move, I will shoot you. I will shoot your friend."
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So I am more worried about him than myself, actually!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Outside on the shop floor,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Kalai's friend was oblivious to the drama unfolding inside the office just yards away.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Despite Kalai's best attempts
0:12:16 > 0:12:20to send him a coded warning in his native Tamil language.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I tried to say "Kallar." Kallar means thief.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26But he didn't understand that.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29But the funny thing is, he thought someone else is in the shop,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and he was looking for them, not for the fireman!
0:12:32 > 0:12:33HE LAUGHS
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Luckily for Kalai and the rest of the shop staff,
0:12:36 > 0:12:42the fake firefighter then turned his attention to getting away with the £2,000 he'd just stolen.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48It was then that Kalai realised that this fake firefighter wasn't operating alone.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49He had backup.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51There was a guy on the door,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and the car was waiting outside to just get away.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So they know what they are doing, they are well prepared and they are well organised.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Everything in position. Then I said, "OK, they are a perfect team."
0:13:02 > 0:13:06They were indeed the perfect team of fake firefighters.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And despite being brave enough to try to run after them,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Kalai and his friend just weren't quick enough.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We just went out to try to get the number of the car,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17but it's so fast, we didn't get it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Later, we find out how far the fake firefighters' colossal crime spree went.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28There were seven members. They stole in the region of £200,000.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And how it came to a crashing halt.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Fake alcohol is being sold in shops across Staffordshire
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and Trading Standards officers there are taking as much of it
0:13:45 > 0:13:47off the shelves as they can.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They've seized bottles of Drops vodka, a fake vodka brand,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53containing strange black particles.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And they've also found fake Prince Consort vodka.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Darren Mountford needs to know
0:13:59 > 0:14:03if there are any dangerous chemicals in the liquid in these bottles.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06So he's brought them back to Staffordshire Scientific Services
0:14:06 > 0:14:09for Jonathan Lovatt to run some tests.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12A lot of fake vodkas have high levels of methanol.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Methanol, if consumed in high enough doses, can lead to
0:14:16 > 0:14:20problems with the liver or kidneys and it can also lead to blindness
0:14:20 > 0:14:25and if you drink it in significant amounts, it can even lead to death.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30First, Jonathan takes a closer look at the strange dark particles
0:14:30 > 0:14:33that Trading Standards discovered in the Drops vodka.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Those black bits are probably dust from wherever,
0:14:35 > 0:14:41if it's been manufactured it tends to be in an old building,
0:14:41 > 0:14:46if it's a fake product, and you often get dust and debris from the ceiling
0:14:46 > 0:14:50or wherever it's been manufactured, that's contaminating the product.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55These particles wouldn't be present in legitimately-produced vodka.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01We obviously don't normally expect to see any matter in a bottled vodka.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I wouldn't be happy drinking it.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We'll see what other chemicals it contains.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Jonathan runs a sample of the Drops vodka through a test
0:15:12 > 0:15:14to see if it contains any methanol.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17The results come in and there is some potentially-harmful methanol
0:15:17 > 0:15:19in this bottle.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23But it could contain something much worse.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It doesn't have high levels of methanol,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but we suspect it might contain trace amounts of chloroform.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Jonathan runs the Drops vodka through a second test,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34this time for chloroform, a hazardous compound
0:15:34 > 0:15:39which should never be present in any food or drink.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40The results are in
0:15:40 > 0:15:44and there is something terrible lurking in this bottle.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48As you can see, we have a peak for chloroform,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Chloroform is a carcinogenic compound
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and potentially, even at trace levels,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00potentially it could cause cancer,
0:16:00 > 0:16:05which is why it shouldn't be in these products at any level.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07It's a good job that this bottle of fake vodka
0:16:07 > 0:16:11is now off the shelves and can't do anybody any harm.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15But the tests aren't over yet.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Next up, it's the fake Prince Consort
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and Jonathan runs the methanol test again.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23He's concerned by the results.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27This is the spectrum as it's coming off in real-time,
0:16:27 > 0:16:32and what we can see here is quite a large peak for methanol.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36It's probably at least ten times higher than you'd normally expect,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38maybe even more than that.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The results are passed on to Frank Hollywood,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45who heads up Staffordshire Scientific Services
0:16:45 > 0:16:46and after further analysis,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49he thinks the results are even worse than that.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56In the Consort, the methanol level will be 20 times the legal limit,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58so this is very high.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02If you bought this fake vodka, you could find yourself
0:17:02 > 0:17:07drinking ingredients more commonly found in antifreeze.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12They're using industrial product to create a cheaper product
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and so they're selling this to make more profit.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21But the problem is, it is toxic and it will produce ill health.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Drinking this vodka could prove fatal.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31If somebody consumed some of this spirit on a night out,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35the next day they would be unwell, they'd suffer sickness
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and over a longer period,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40it could eventually cause blindness and death.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Earlier, we saw how Kalai had been the victim of a brutal armed robbery,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56carried out by a fake firefighter
0:17:56 > 0:17:59pretending to check the shop's fire alarms.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The man behind the uniform was Gary Griffiths,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06an ex-Metropolitan police officer.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Griffiths was part of a criminal gang led by Darren Lloyd,
0:18:09 > 0:18:14the lookout on the door wearing the bandana in Kalai's shop.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16The gang of armed robbers were on a crime spree
0:18:16 > 0:18:18that would net them thousands.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22But unbeknownst to the gang,
0:18:22 > 0:18:27they were under surveillance by Detective Chief Inspector Ian Corner
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad.
0:18:31 > 0:18:38This particular gang were individuals who were experienced criminals,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42knew how to commit armed robberies,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45were well-versed in how they were going to do it
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and the subterfuge just, I suppose, showed the cunning nature of them
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and how motivated they were in order to commit the offences.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The armed robbers knew that by posing as real firefighters,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59they would be tapping into the innate sense of trust
0:18:59 > 0:19:03that people have in an official uniform.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06And having already robbed security vehicles across the Dagenham area,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10the violent armed gang were now graduating to high street shops.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14DCI Corner went back to the gang's very first target.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20We're going to the Co-Op in Fencepiece Road in Barkingside,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23which was the scene of one of the robberies.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27On a busy high street, the gang were about to strike.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Two of the gang, dressed as fake firefighters,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35gained access to the premises by telling members of staff
0:19:35 > 0:19:38that the fire alarm had been sounding and they thought there was a fault
0:19:38 > 0:19:41with the system, they needed to inspect the panels.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Once they'd gained access to the area where the cash was held,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49they produced firearms and weaponry
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and caused duress to the staff members,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57threatened them with violence and then robbed the store of £1,600
0:19:57 > 0:19:59prior to leaving, still dressed in their fake uniforms.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04The fake firefighters left behind not just an empty till,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07but also a trail of emotional devastation.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10The victim that had the firearms pointed at them
0:20:10 > 0:20:13was so disturbed he in fact left employment
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and has now returned to his homeland in Pakistan,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19so this is the effect these people had on people,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22they did actually put people in great terror.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25There was no doubt in DCI Corner's mind
0:20:25 > 0:20:28that the armed gang got as far as they did
0:20:28 > 0:20:31because of their alter-egos as firefighters.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33These guys were fake fire officers,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36they'd never been fire officers they never will be fire officers,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41and they were just using the disguise purely to trick
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and gain the confidence of the potential robbery victims.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Using the same cover story of wanting to check fire alarms,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55the gang went on to target an amusement arcade in Dagenham.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Again, the fake firemen used guns to get what they wanted,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and the victims were to pay a huge emotional price
0:21:02 > 0:21:06for the £700 that the fake firefighters walked away with.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09The security guard was forced down to the floor
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and the female member of staff had a gun pushed into her stomach.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17This was a particularly nasty experience for them
0:21:17 > 0:21:20to be threatened with such violence with firearms.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and both of those members of staff, I would say,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24haven't really recovered from this.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28One of them's returned back overseas to where he came from
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and the other lady is still quite upset and traumatised by this.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Over a nine-month period, the gang of fake firefighters
0:21:36 > 0:21:40used handguns, knives and crowbars in over 20 robberies
0:21:40 > 0:21:45across north and east London, stealing more than £200,000.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48But the Met's Flying Squad were about to pour cold water
0:21:48 > 0:21:50on their crime spree.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We're currently in Porters Avenue in Dagenham,
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and this is where the crime spree
0:21:54 > 0:21:57for the fake fire officers came to an abrupt end.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Lloyd, Griffiths and Stacey went on to commit an offence
0:22:02 > 0:22:05at a nearby convenience store, where they stole £400.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08They were pursued from the scene of the robbery.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Stacey immediately had given up and been arrested in one vehicle.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Lloyd and Griffiths made off in another.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Whilst being pursued, the gang hurled guns
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and other pieces of evidence out of the window of their car,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23but they wouldn't be on the road for long.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Their vehicle came to an abrupt halt.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Griffiths gave up, remained in the vehicle.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Lloyd ran across the road between the gaps in the houses,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39opposite where we are, and was pursued by armed police officers,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42having vaulted some fences, and was arrested in the garden nearby.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It was the end of the fake firefighters' reign of terror.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Ringleader Darren Lloyd was convicted
0:22:49 > 0:22:52of a number of conspiracy to rob offences
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and was jailed for 18 years.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Gary Griffiths was given five years.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02The gang racked up a total of 50 years in jail between them.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05For DCI Corner, it's a cautionary tale for members of the public.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Just because a person's wearing a uniform,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11whether it be a police uniform, a fire officer
0:23:11 > 0:23:14or some other sort of public service, don't just take it on face value.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Have a look at their identification, if you're not sure,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19please make a phone call, please phone their depot
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and if you're really not sure, please phone your local police,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and they'll come down and we're quite happy to check people out
0:23:25 > 0:23:26because at the end of the day,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29a genuine worker will not mind being asked for identification.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33When it comes to the dangers of taking a uniform at face value,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Kalai learned the hard way.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40The experience has shaken his trust in uniformed officials.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I always ask for ID after this occasion,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46anyone comes in, it doesn't matter you know, police man in a uniform,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49or a paramedic in a uniform, it doesn't matter,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51it's just, "ID please."
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Fingers crossed it won't happen again to me, that's what I think!
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Felixstowe Port is Britain's biggest container port,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12with over 3 million containers like these arriving here each year.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19That's a lot of containers for Andy Darke from the UK Border Agency
0:24:19 > 0:24:23to keep his eye on when he's playing spot-the-fake.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28They try and hide it, you find it, you know? It is a big game.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31We score the odd goal!
0:24:31 > 0:24:32HE LAUGHS
0:24:32 > 0:24:36In the many years that Andy's been working at Felixstowe,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39he's seen the counterfeiters evolving
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and constantly changing their tactics as they try to
0:24:42 > 0:24:45get their fakes past the watchful eyes of the UK Border Agency.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52The criminals used to smuggle fake products in all in one go.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53But that's all changing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Today, using one of a range of checks and measures
0:24:56 > 0:24:59at the UK Border Agency's disposal,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Andy's discovered a box that doesn't do what it says on the label.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06This is a consignment described as packing material
0:25:06 > 0:25:12and when we opened the boxes, we found thousands and thousands
0:25:12 > 0:25:16of Golden Virginia tobacco pouches.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18At first sight, they're the real deal.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21These look very professional.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24They've even got the normal UK barcode on them,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27there's no obvious spelling mistakes,
0:25:27 > 0:25:33not that I'm quite sure my knowledge of all the different languages
0:25:33 > 0:25:37would enable me to say that there is no spelling mistake.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41These pouches are in fact just one part of a fake kit.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Rather than put it all in one box,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47the fakers pack the individual component parts
0:25:47 > 0:25:50of the tobacco pouches into separate boxes
0:25:50 > 0:25:52in an attempt to avoid detection,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and in the hope that at least some will slip through.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Once the pouch has been filled with tobacco,
0:25:59 > 0:26:04the pouch itself will go inside the cellophane wrapper,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and it will be heat-sealed across the end.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12The fakers finishing touch is something to persuade consumers
0:26:12 > 0:26:15that the rolling tobacco is real.
0:26:15 > 0:26:21We have thousands and thousands of counterfeited Benelux tax-stamps.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25The fakers want British consumers to think they're getting a good deal
0:26:25 > 0:26:27on real smuggled tobacco.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31And the people buying it think the reason it's cheap is that
0:26:31 > 0:26:36it's been bought in Belgium and smuggled across
0:26:36 > 0:26:38without any duty being paid.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41There are many things the UK Border Agency check for
0:26:41 > 0:26:43with products like this,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and the fakers have missed out a crucial detail.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Normally, there is a plastic snap seal that you press together
0:26:52 > 0:26:57to keep it fresh, and that's obviously missing
0:26:57 > 0:27:00from these packets.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04If the smugglers had managed to slip these fake pouches,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and all their component parts, past Felixstowe Port
0:27:07 > 0:27:08and into the country,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11they would have filled those pouches with fake tobacco,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14sold them, and made a killing.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It's a great result for the UK Border Agency.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19And elsewhere at Felixstowe,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23officer Lance Cruse can smell the sweet smell of success.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Here, we've got a shrink-wrapped sealed bag,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31purporting to be a Guzell Turkish bath scrub
0:27:31 > 0:27:33made in the United Arab Emirates.
0:27:33 > 0:27:39And then on opening it up, we've got a black sacking, smells very fruity.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43But you really wouldn't want to use this in your bath.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And there we have a popular brand of, in this case,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50double apple Al Fakher molasses tobacco.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55This is the current trend, bringing in a lot of this molasses tobacco,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59it's not always concealed as well as this.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02The people behind this sort of smuggling attempt
0:28:02 > 0:28:05have paid a bit of money to get some labels made up
0:28:05 > 0:28:08to try to put you off at first glance.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12However, our job is to go deeper with these things
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and to establish what's inside.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The team at Felixstowe have had some great results in their drive
0:28:19 > 0:28:21to outwit the fakers.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24But with another few million containers like these
0:28:24 > 0:28:28due in this year, the game of cat and mouse isn't over yet.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37That's all from Fake Britain today. Goodbye for now.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd