0:00:03 > 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 > 0:00:29It's just an ordinary house. It could be anywhere in the country.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32But this is a house that's filled with fakes
0:00:32 > 0:00:35and you may not know it but your home could be full of them, too.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39During the series we'll be investigating the criminals trying
0:00:39 > 0:00:44to get their hands on your cash by using forgeries, frauds and fakery.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48And I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51On today's programme...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Police! Open it now!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56..countdown to a crackdown for the fakers selling high-end
0:00:56 > 0:01:00counterfeit watches as Manchester Police call time on their crimes.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I think we've hit the jackpot, here.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We follow animal health inspectors sniffing out fake pet passports.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12To be told that he had to be taken away was shocking.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15And the hi tech criminal mastermind who made millions
0:01:15 > 0:01:17from faking car identities.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20This was one of the largest vehicle identity
0:01:20 > 0:01:23faking operations that the Met has ever seen.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Now we all remember those cheap,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34fake watches you used to be able to buy down the market for a few quid.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Those days have gone
0:01:35 > 0:01:39and now watch fakery has upped its game to a completely new level.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Have a look at this.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44It looks amazing. It's heavy.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It's got the right box and the right paperwork
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and you could spend thousands on it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53So there is no way that this could be a fake, is there?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59It's early morning in Greater Manchester
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and a major raid is about to get underway.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Sergeant Darren Thomason and his team have clocked criminal activity
0:02:05 > 0:02:09at a business known to be selling fake watches with a difference.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16At the address there's going to be a lot of fake counterfeit watches
0:02:16 > 0:02:19of the more high-end, the more expensive type.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Intelligence suggests they are dealing with large-scale criminality
0:02:25 > 0:02:27so they're not taking any chances.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31There's seven police officers and two PCSOs as well.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35This is the street we're coming to now.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38With the address in sight, there's no time for Darren to hang around
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and no time for the softly-softly approach.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44KNOCKING Police! Open it now!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- Police! Stay there! - Stay there.- Stay there.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54- Just keep hold of him.- We're just executing a search warrant.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57The shop assistant isn't best pleased that his latest customers
0:02:57 > 0:02:59seem to be wearing police uniforms.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Get your hands down.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Refusing to answer the door and kicking up a fuss.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09This shop assistant is in need of some customer service training.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11We are conducting a search warrant, OK?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And Darren doesn't have to look too far
0:03:16 > 0:03:18to find what they've been looking for.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It's a fake timepiece treasure trove.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I think we've hit the jackpot, here.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26There must be thousands of watches in here.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29So you've got a variety of different Rolexes,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32you've got an Omega Seamaster,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35you've got a variety of different Breitlings,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38plus the different boxes as well.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40A very good copy, that. Excellent.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I would say these are the top-end copies.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45I'm pretty confident they are fake. Definitely.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47I'd put my mortgage on it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It becomes clear that the suspect they've arrested is small fry.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Before the officers can take stock of the fake stock,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59they'll have to hunt down the man in charge.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Which floor are you on now?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04The priority at the moment is to get hold of this fellow.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Easier said than done in a large building
0:04:06 > 0:04:08housing lots of honest businesses.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Sorry to interrupt you.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Has anyone ran through here? An Asian gentleman?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- He's not run through here? - No.- Right, OK.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18I'll let you carry on with your business. Thank you very much.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21So no luck in the offices, then. How about the roof?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's like a rabbit warren round here. So he's not going to be far.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29He's going to be in this premises somewhere.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33My feeling is he's this way, you know.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Finally the search is over.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Downstairs, another officer has found the main suspect
0:04:38 > 0:04:41hiding behind some boxes.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Have you got hold of him?- Yeah, he's in there. I just locked him up.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- Oh, excellent. Fantastic. - You've been arrested.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Do you understand that? - Yeah, I understand.- Right, OK.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The suspects are put in the van and driven off to the station.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Finally, it's time for the officers to take a closer look
0:04:58 > 0:05:00at what's on offer in the store.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02That's a beauty, that, isn't it?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It's like when I go fishing, this, and I catch a big fish. Look at that!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09It's a who's who of the biggest and best watch brands in the world
0:05:09 > 0:05:11but they're all fake.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Omega.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Cartier.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16Rolex.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Breitling.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I feel like Del Boy!
0:05:20 > 0:05:23But it's not just watches worth thousands they are faking,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26they're also counterfeiting the boxes and paperwork
0:05:26 > 0:05:30to make the package look and feel just like the real deal.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Look at the quality of the boxes. It's got all the paperwork, there.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40All the official stamps. Get a look at the quality, there.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43That, to me, looks real leather.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So you know, something like that, you would imagine,
0:05:48 > 0:05:49fetches a fair few hundred quid.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54They've even got the paperwork that goes with them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Criminals selling these high-end fake watches as the real thing
0:05:58 > 0:06:02to unsuspecting buyers could make thousands on each deal.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04For something like that,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09I would have said about £4,500 to £5,000, quite easily.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And it soon becomes clear that these fakers are making a killing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Counterfeiting is a cash rich business
0:06:15 > 0:06:19so the police are hitting the fakers where it hurts.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The idea behind it is we're hitting them in the pocket
0:06:22 > 0:06:27and taking the ability away from them to make it such a lucrative business.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30All of a sudden, one of the officers finds a set of keys
0:06:30 > 0:06:33linked to a safe storage facility nearby.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Darren realises that when it comes to counterfeit goods,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40the fakes they've found so far are just the tip of the iceberg.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Wow.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's a huge stockpile of counterfeit goods,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- from high-end watches... - Rolex.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51..to high-end high-street fragrances.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53This is all obviously fake
0:06:53 > 0:06:57but I am impressed with the way they've packaged it and bottled it.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Yeah, but what about the smell?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Oh! That's not good, that. That's wrong.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07What is it? Is that ladies'? Oh, right. That's why.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09HE LAUGHS
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I've come out in a rash now, after using that.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15The bad smell of brilliantly packaged perfume might be funny,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19but what really stinks is the huge profits being made by the fakers.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21With the two premises,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25definitely there's in excess of about £1 million worth of fake gear,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27without a doubt.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We are a nation of dog lovers.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44In the UK, there are eight million of these.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48They are not all French bulldogs obviously, but a popular breed,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53such as this is right now, will cost you over £1,000
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and the fakers know it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And that's why they're illegally importing puppies into the UK
0:07:59 > 0:08:01with fake pet passports.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02So the question is,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05do you know where your puppy came from?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11The Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in the world
0:08:11 > 0:08:13with over two million lorries
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and nearly three million cars passing through each year.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Many of the vehicles from Europe are carrying dogs.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25To get a European dog into Britain without it being quarantined
0:08:25 > 0:08:28to check for potentially lethal diseases like rabies,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32the animals have to satisfy the rules of the Pet Travel Scheme.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35We're doing spot checks, basically,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39on vehicles that are coming in from Europe with pets.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42All pets travelling in Europe should have pet passports.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46European dogs should be microchipped before being brought into Britain.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They're scanned and checked against their pet passport details,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53which also carry proof of their rabies vaccination.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56These European dogs can now legally enter Britain
0:08:56 > 0:09:00but scratch beneath the surface and there is a problem.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The fakers know that pedigree pups come at a premium in Britain
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and in the last year, there has been a 300% increase
0:09:08 > 0:09:12in illegally imported pets being seized at ports across the country.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Whatever system is in place,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19you'll always find someone who tries to get around the regulations.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Dogs have to be at least 12 weeks old for their vaccinations
0:09:23 > 0:09:26to be effective and then to be let into the country.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30But some of the smugglers are faking pet passports to get them in.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Quite often we will see animals presented to us
0:09:34 > 0:09:37where the date of birth is clearly wrong.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40If that date of birth is fake, what else in the passport could be fake?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Sharon Edwards is an animal health inspector
0:09:47 > 0:09:50at Heathrow Animal Reception Centre.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53She deals with animal imports on a daily basis.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56She's under no illusions why the smugglers
0:09:56 > 0:09:59would fake the age of a puppy.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Fake information is being put into these passports to make these
0:10:02 > 0:10:05animals look older when they're not. So they look compliant
0:10:05 > 0:10:09with our regulations and it all comes down to financial gain.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14It's easier to get money for a cute little puppy than an older one.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The fakers know that young pups are far more profitable than old dogs,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25but by simply faking a date of birth,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28the smugglers could end up literally making a killing.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30DOG HOWLS
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Rabies is an awful disease. It attacks your central nervous system.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Somebody, I believe, died this year in the UK,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41having received a bite from outside of the UK.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46If you vaccinate a puppy at too young an age,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49that rabies vaccine might not be effective and might not work.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52They could be coming in, they could be incubating the rabies virus
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and yes, it could lead to a rabies outbreak.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Left untreated, rabies can be fatal for unvaccinated humans.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Illegally imported dogs have to be quarantined immediately.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Dale Groves and his wife Lorraine
0:11:09 > 0:11:13run Bayton Lodge quarantine kennels in Warwickshire.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16They've recently taken delivery of an underage stowaway
0:11:16 > 0:11:20from Europe who came through Dover Port in a handbag.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28This is Kiss and he came in illegally from Lithuania.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32The fakers put this puppy through hell to get him into Britain.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38To be truthful, he's lucky to be alive because he did a 40-hour trip.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41He's had antibiotics and he's been on Rescue Remedy
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and he's on puppy milk.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Hopefully he'll survive now. It was touch-and-go.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There's no puppy love here.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The smugglers are pursuing hard profit.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55They can buy these puppies in Lithuania
0:11:55 > 0:11:57for probably 50 euros, even less.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00The price of these dogs in England would probably be anything from
0:12:00 > 0:12:04£600 to £800 for a little miniature pinscher.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07While the dog's passport says he is six weeks old,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10his tiny frame gives the game away.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15The information with his date of birth is completely fake.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I can't believe he's six weeks old,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20he's only the size of the booklet himself.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And he's so light, he can stand on the booklet.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The booklet is supporting him.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Genuine pet passports should contain an official vet stamp,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34verifying the animal's vaccination,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38but here, the smugglers have taken a rather less sophisticated approach.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The faking goes on with the people that are bringing these puppies in
0:12:41 > 0:12:43are filling them in themselves.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44There's no official stamp.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It could be anybody have wrote this in.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Anyone could have wrote that.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Luckily, Kiss doesn't have rabies and he's getting bigger by the day.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55He doesn't fit on that passport any more.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Coming up, we'll see how the fakers aren't just
0:12:58 > 0:13:00putting puppies through hell,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02they're also traumatising the pet lovers
0:13:02 > 0:13:05who unwittingly fall in love with them.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Gutted.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Just couldn't believe what I was hearing.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Here on Fake Britain, we've seen how criminals can make a killing
0:13:20 > 0:13:24by faking the identities of stolen vehicles.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It's called car cloning.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And this is how it works.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35You put the details of a legitimate car onto a very similar
0:13:35 > 0:13:37stolen car and then you sell it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41To the unsuspecting buyer, that's you and me, it looks like a bargain,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45but the reality is you could end up losing both your cash and the car.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48So that's the story so far.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Now, it seems, car cloning has shifted up a gear.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Alan Watkins was a man with a taste for luxury cars.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02This is an Audi convertible worth around £20,000.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05This is a Range Rover, around £45,000.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08A Mercedes, another Audi, here.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Top of the range Mercedes, here.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14And this is just a selection of over 100 that we've recovered.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16The thing is, Watkins didn't actually buy all these cars,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18he stole them.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Watkins was the leader of a highly sophisticated
0:14:24 > 0:14:27organised criminal network who stole high-value vehicles
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and cloned them and turned them into, effectively, fakes.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34They then sold them on to unsuspecting members of the public.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Alan Watkins began by searching out high-value vehicles
0:14:39 > 0:14:41suitable for stealing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46One of his methods was to identify legitimate UK registered cars
0:14:46 > 0:14:48that had been exported to Cyprus.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51He would see, on the internet, cars that were for sale in Cyprus
0:14:51 > 0:14:53that were right-hand drives.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57He would apply to the DVLA for, in effect, a log book.
0:14:57 > 0:15:03All he had to do then was find a vehicle on London's streets to steal.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09He hatched an ingenious hi-tech plan to steal luxury cars in Britain
0:15:09 > 0:15:12that were the same make, model and colour
0:15:12 > 0:15:15as the British cars now in Cyprus.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Once he'd identified a car, the victim would leave the vehicle
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and remotely lock it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26He would deploy a device which enabled him
0:15:26 > 0:15:29to block the signal between the key fob and the vehicle
0:15:29 > 0:15:32so the victim would think the vehicle was locked when it wasn't.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34They would go and do their shopping,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36he would have full access to the car.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Once inside the car, he would electronically clone
0:15:39 > 0:15:42a blank key so now he had everything he needed.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Watkins now had a second fake car key to the target vehicle.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51If he wanted to, he could start and steal the car there and then.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53But he didn't.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Instead, he hid a GPS tracker on the car,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02then locked the car and left it exactly as the owner had.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The owner would return none the wiser and drive off.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09You see, Alan Watkins was playing the long game.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12He, over a period of days or weeks, would then track the vehicle,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15would know exactly where the vehicle was at any one time.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18He would then either steal the vehicle himself,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20using the fake key that he'd already made,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23or get someone else to steal the vehicle for him.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It was now time for Watkins to fake the identity of the vehicle,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28changing its details to match
0:16:28 > 0:16:31those of its right-hand drive twin overseas.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35This is a high-powered high-value Audi,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38which is one of the vehicles that Watkins faked.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42When we seized it, it had fake numberplates on and here,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46as you can see, it had fake vehicle identification number.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47This is the correct number
0:16:47 > 0:16:52but on top of there was the false number that Watkins put on it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Watkins was now ready to sell the stolen luxury car,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58complete with its logbook and new fake identity,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01to an unsuspecting member of the public.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03It must have seemed to him like the perfect crime
0:17:03 > 0:17:06because he repeated it again and again and again.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It is the most sophisticated operation
0:17:09 > 0:17:11that the Metropolitan Police has come across.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15It is almost on an industrial scale, over 173 vehicles,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19that we've got evidence of, that he successfully faked.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23£3.5 million worth in value.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But Watkins was faking on borrowed time.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29While he was tracking cars to steal,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33he himself was being tracked by the Stolen Vehicle Unit.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38And they traced him to this ordinary suburban house in Essex.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42We raided the address, which wasn't without drama.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45During it, he bit and chewed and destroyed a memory stick.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48To this day I still don't know what was on it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Clearly, Watkins was caught between a rock and a hard place
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and he wasn't going to give up without a fight.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Bizarrely, he tried to jump out of the first-floor window,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00round the back to escape. Clearly, he didn't escape. He was arrested.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02With Watkins detained,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06the officers were able to take stock of what was in the house.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They walked into a vehicle faking factory.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13This was the hideout where the gang faked vehicle identities
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and where they programmed and cloned fake car keys.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20In my opinion, this was the most sophisticated and one of the largest
0:18:20 > 0:18:24vehicle identity faking operations that the Met has ever seen.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28The evidence was enough to put the gang away for a long time.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Watkins received eight years imprisonment.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Two of his members of his network, one was called Matto.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37He received 16 months imprisonment.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40He was, in effect, one of the thieves
0:18:40 > 0:18:42that Watkins used to steal the vehicles.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Investigations still carry on into Watkins' activities.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50To date, the Stolen Vehicle Unit has managed to recover
0:18:50 > 0:18:53over 100 of the vehicles that Watkins and his gang stole
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and then cloned, but in testimony to the scale of the gang's crimes,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01many of the stolen cars are still out there on British roads.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Innocent members of the public are paying thousands of pounds
0:19:05 > 0:19:10for these high-value cars, not knowing that they're stolen.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Coming up, we're out with the Stolen Vehicle Unit,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18hot on the trail of the Watkins gang's remaining stolen cars.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21We're going to have to take it, I'm afraid.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Now, earlier we heard the sorry tale of animal smugglers
0:19:32 > 0:19:36faking pet passports to illegally import puppies into the country.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Sharon Edwards from Heathrow Animal Reception Centre
0:19:41 > 0:19:43is on the frontline, dealing with the problem.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Today, a call has come in that could spell disaster
0:19:46 > 0:19:49to the proud new owner of one young pup.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54We're going to north-east London because we think there might be
0:19:54 > 0:19:57an illegally imported French bulldog puppy.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And these people have purchased this animal,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03so we believe them to be an innocent victim.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Time is of the essence.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10If the dog does carry rabies, it mustn't be allowed to spread.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13We don't want to have rabies here in the UK.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16A lot of people buy puppies or say,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19"Oh, it's only a puppy. It can't have rabies."
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But earlier this year there was a puppy that was 12 weeks old
0:20:21 > 0:20:24that did die of rabies on the Continent.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Sharon is greeted by Jay Didham, the concerned owner of Lenny,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34a lively French bulldog puppy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38It's a breed the fakers know is highly sought after in the UK.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I've had quite a problem, I'll admit to you, with French bulldogs.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Other than eating my chip reader!
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Sharon scans the puppy to check its microchip
0:20:47 > 0:20:49against the number written in the passport.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It quickly becomes clear that the age is wrong.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- She's not the age that they say she is.- She's younger?- Yeah.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59And other crucial information in this female French bulldog's
0:20:59 > 0:21:02pet passport has been faked.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's actually got now male bulldog written in there.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Even if this was her passport, the data sheet for this rabies vaccine
0:21:09 > 0:21:14says it's not effective until the animals are three months old.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Then she's been vaccinated when she's only a month old.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- And she shouldn't have been. - And she shouldn't have been.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- It's got false information. - Do you think it's a false passport?
0:21:21 > 0:21:26- Is that what you're saying?- Well, this has been gone over in pen.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28This looks like it's been changed.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30With a murky medical history,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34there are no guarantees that Lenny doesn't have rabies.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Sharon has no choice but to take her into quarantine for 21 days.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I'll put the blanket in the box so she's comfortable.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Then I'll take the bed with me.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47She'll have that in her kennel, her bed and toys.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Sharon does everything she can for Lenny,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52but it doesn't stop her owner being concerned.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57I'm more worried about her, to be honest. I'm so attached to her.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I'm gutted.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I suppose this is with everyone that you buy things off of,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05they seem genuine at the time, don't they?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Before Jay and Lenny can be reunited,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12there'll be an anxious wait to see if she's carrying any diseases.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It's never a nice job.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I don't enjoy going and taking people's puppies from them.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23On closer inspection of the pet passport, it's clear that,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26tough as it was, Sharon's made the right decision.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30There's a baffling array of fakery going on in this document.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35The bits that have been altered are the species, the breed of dog,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39the sex of dog, the date of birth, the colour and its coat,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and the date of micro-chipping and the place where the microchip is.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45These look like they've been altered. It's a fake passport.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And Lenny's case isn't an isolated one.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53The fakers are duping dog lovers right across the country.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Nicola Glavin from Surrey paid a pet shop £750
0:22:58 > 0:23:03for what she thought was the perfect Irish miniature dachshund.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06She learned the hard way that you can't always believe
0:23:06 > 0:23:09the tales that you're told about your new puppy.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I said, "Are you sure he's from Northern Ireland?"
0:23:12 > 0:23:13She assured me he was.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16My husband actually called him Frankie Flanagan.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18CHUCKLES
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But Nicola was about to realise that Frankie's roots were more
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Eastern European than Emerald Isle.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30A week later, I had Animal Trading Standards Unit for Surrey
0:23:30 > 0:23:36knock at my door only to tell me that he was actually from Slovakia.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40And I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was mad.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43More worrying than Frankie's fake heritage
0:23:43 > 0:23:46was his untraceable medical history.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50That raised concerns about the health impact on her son.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52My son actually has cystic fibrosis.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56So I wouldn't have bought a dog from Eastern Europe
0:23:56 > 0:23:59in case it had disease, bringing it in my house.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Because it could put Jonathan's life at risk
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and it could have made him very ill and put him in hospital.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Nicola eventually recovered the dog's original Slovakian pet passport,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12which, surprise surprise, contained fake information.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14I mean, this...
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Some of it's crossed out - the 5th of the 1st, 2012.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Then it says 14th of the 12th, 2011. I think a lot of it is false.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24It's appalling, absolutely appalling.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30How anyone can get away with selling a dog under false pretences, really.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34The only option left was to quarantine Frankie.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39To be told he had to be taken away was shocking, really.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Shocking.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45After an agonising wait, both Frankie and Lenny
0:24:45 > 0:24:47have been given clean bills of health
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and reunited with their owners.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54But Kiss, the miniature pinscher, remains homeless.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58A cautionary tale to anyone thinking about buying a dog.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Be careful where you buy your puppies from.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Always go to a good breeder which will show you the mum, the puppies,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08the dad and have a pedigree.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Earlier, we saw how Alan Watkins
0:25:17 > 0:25:21and his gang faked the identities of hundreds of stolen cars
0:25:21 > 0:25:25in a crime spree that netted them over £3 million.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Vehicle examiner Steve Wimpenny and Paul Egan have been trying
0:25:31 > 0:25:35to track down Watkins' remaining stolen cars.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39They've just received intelligence that might lead them to one.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41All the ones we've been finding recently
0:25:41 > 0:25:44are with innocent members of the public.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48They've been sold a fake car, parted with a considerable amount of cash
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and basically that cash is gone.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53There's the car in question.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's not long before they spot what they are looking for -
0:25:56 > 0:25:59a luxury BMW 5 series.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It could be bad news for the man who's bought it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07But first, Paul and Steve will need to confirm its true identity.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Not long after they pop the bonnet, Steve notices something strange
0:26:12 > 0:26:16about the car's unique vehicle identification number, or VIN.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18This should be painted body colour
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and the numbers should be really shiny.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22It looks to me, looking at this,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25that someone has ground out the original number lightly
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and then re-established the number
0:26:28 > 0:26:30to match the identity that the car is now on.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34The VIN number has been changed, but that's not all.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37The number's also been changed elsewhere, clear to see
0:26:37 > 0:26:40when the sticker it's on should be tamper-proof.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44If there's any interference, and they pick off in tiny little pieces,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47the fact that the sticker is peeling and clearly fake
0:26:47 > 0:26:50indicates to us that it's been changed.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The only reason to change that is to conceal the true identity
0:26:54 > 0:26:56of the vehicle and create a fake car.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00To convince somebody to part with money, good money, hard earned.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03A bit more digging, some number checking
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and a couple of phone calls later, and the final verdict is in.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09We found two covert numbers on the vehicle.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Both match the same car which is a stolen car.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16This car was stolen by the Watkins gang.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Could this be bad news for Lazros Aresti
0:27:18 > 0:27:21who currently has it parked outside his office?
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Everything on it is fake, so we'll have to take it, I'm afraid.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I just made the deal, I didn't buy the car yet.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- So you haven't given him any money yet?- Not me.- Right.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- So you are not out of pocket? - No, not me.- That's good for you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36You are a lucky man, you are a very lucky man.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Because it's looking very, very strongly like this is a stolen car.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47It's actually his friend who's lost a hefty £7,500 on a stolen BMW.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50He's going to try to get his money from that person,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53but that person is now in prison, so it looks like...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55he lost out.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00But it's a good day's work for the stolen vehicle unit.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Another one of Watkins' cloned cars is off the streets.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Me, I'm just lucky.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17That's all from Fake Britain. Bye-bye.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd