0:00:04 > 0:00:08Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Get down! Get down! Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It's just an ordinary house - it could be anywhere in the country.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33But this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36And you may not know it, but your home could be full of them, too.
0:00:36 > 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.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51On today's show...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55..the fake car airbags that could kill.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00I think it's very, very shocking, the level of injury that might result from these fake airbags.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04The fake number plates that could get you arrested.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07And the dangerous fake products coming into the UK through the mail.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10People should beware if they are offered this type of thing to buy
0:01:10 > 0:01:13that they could be harming their health.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Every year in the UK, 200,000 of us are injured in some kind
0:01:23 > 0:01:30of road accident and of that number, 1% - one in a hundred - is fatal.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Now, the seat belt has gone a long way to reduce those numbers,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39and what's under here, the airbag, has gone even further.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43We've already seen on Fake Britain how car parts that have been
0:01:43 > 0:01:46counterfeited are a real safety problem.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But when they're parts that are critical for your safety,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53like the airbag, then it becomes a matter of life and death.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58In America, it was a national scandal.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01'Organised criminals are counterfeiting.'
0:02:01 > 0:02:04'Thousands of people likely have counterfeit airbags.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:06'..could be counterfeit and dangerous.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:09'The fake airbags look almost identical to factory equipment.'
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'They could fail to save your life.'
0:02:12 > 0:02:15News that thousands of American motorists might be driving cars
0:02:15 > 0:02:18fitted with fake and potentially lethal airbags
0:02:18 > 0:02:20shocked viewers worldwide.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Where do these fake airbags come from?
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Well, I'll tell you - they come from China.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And they're not just putting the lives of American drivers at risk.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Dave Hodgetts is the Managing Director of Honda UK,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and he thinks fake airbags could already have
0:02:35 > 0:02:38found their way into British cars.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We're seeing lots of evidence of fake parts being
0:02:41 > 0:02:44imported into Britain and they range from things...quite simple
0:02:44 > 0:02:47items like oil filters and brake pads to much more expensive items,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50like alloy wheels, or indeed, airbags.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It's the rise in Internet trading that is fuelling
0:02:57 > 0:03:01the problem of car part fakery in this country.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Today on the Internet is a huge number of parts
0:03:03 > 0:03:07that are available for sale, and many, many, many of those parts
0:03:07 > 0:03:11are not genuine parts. We know what is a Honda genuine part
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and all our other manufacturing colleagues will, as well.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18And you can see a plethora of parts available on the Internet which are not.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Genuine airbags are bristling with technology.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26They're designed to save the car's occupants in a crash.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28This is a genuine Honda airbag
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and this is the one that's fitted behind the driver's steering wheel,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and what should happen is the whole system in the car will sense
0:03:35 > 0:03:38the deceleration of the accident and basically decide how quickly
0:03:38 > 0:03:43to inflate the airbag - that will come through this front panel and
0:03:43 > 0:03:46effectively cushion the blow that you would have had as you go towards
0:03:46 > 0:03:51the steering wheel, so a very, very complicated piece of technology.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55These are slow-motion videos of how a genuine airbag should
0:03:55 > 0:03:57inflate in a crash,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00deploying with such precise timing that it even
0:04:00 > 0:04:03protects a delicate watermelon when dropped from a height.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But what might a fake airbag do in a crash?
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Well, in Honda's melon test, something a bit like this.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Fake airbags might not inflate properly,
0:04:16 > 0:04:21but they might also have the power to cause injury in their own right.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24In America, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
0:04:24 > 0:04:28tested dozens of fake Honda airbags seized from an Internet
0:04:28 > 0:04:32trader thought to be selling the products internationally.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Dave talked us through the test results.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The airbag deploys but basically it just blows apart
0:04:40 > 0:04:43so there's a huge amount of fragments being thrown
0:04:43 > 0:04:47straight into the face of the driver, and a lot of explosive material
0:04:47 > 0:04:51that's been released from inside the bag. The bag basically just blew up.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55This is a fake airbag failure that could lead to serious injury.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Some of these items are certainly extremely hot
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and they almost certainly would cause burns, etc, to the driver.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07And that would have potentially very severely injured the driver
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and certainly wouldn't have provided any protection from the crash
0:05:10 > 0:05:13itself, so what's supposed to save you in the event of an accident
0:05:13 > 0:05:17may have caused more injury. I think it's very, very shocking,
0:05:17 > 0:05:22the level of injury that might result from these fake airbags.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26And Dave believes that fake airbags like this have made it
0:05:26 > 0:05:28across the Atlantic into the UK.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33I think there's no doubt that the number of what we believe to be fake airbags that are on the Internet,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37it must mean that many people in the UK are having them fitted to their cars.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41So I think it's only a matter of time until we see this sort of injury
0:05:41 > 0:05:46happening, and some of these types of potentially fatal accidents.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The problem of fake airbags is not limited to Honda.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Almost all major automotive manufacturers are being
0:05:52 > 0:05:54affected by this trend.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57And it's therefore something that's endemic across the industry.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00With the counterfeit suppliers, we have no idea who they are
0:06:00 > 0:06:03and what sort of processes they're using.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Dave has some advice on how to avoid falling victim to the fakers.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Go to a manufacturer's main dealer, who will always fit genuine parts
0:06:11 > 0:06:13from that particular manufacturer.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20But airbags aren't the only fake car parts affecting motorists.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23As Hertfordshire Trading Standards and BMW found out
0:06:23 > 0:06:28during a recent raid, the fakers are also targeting alloy wheels.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33Nick Jones from BMW deals in real wheels and he can spot a fake.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Here we have a counterfeit Mini alloy wheel.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44This one is actually very close to a genuine wheel and the stampings on the front.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47This is another fake wheel we found.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Yeah, definitely a non-genuine wheel.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Hundreds of these fake alloy wheels were seized during the raid.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Now, at first sight, they're pretty convincing.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59From the outside of these wheels, from the customer's
0:06:59 > 0:07:02point of view, it looks very much like a genuine wheel.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The finish is of a high enough standard that it would fool most customers.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10But the fakers haven't just copied the distinctive BMW wheel design.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12They've also faked the brand name and logo.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16These are counterfeit BMW badges. There are several in this bag here.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If the consumer gets the wheels, the labels would probably be applied
0:07:19 > 0:07:22to it, the tyres would be fitted to the wheel rims. From their point
0:07:22 > 0:07:26of view, they're looking as though they've bought a genuine wheel.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Had these wheels not been seized, dozens of innocent drivers
0:07:29 > 0:07:33might have ended up paying good money for fake BMW wheels.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37And as the BMW lab tests showed, driving around on fake wheels
0:07:37 > 0:07:40like these might have put those motorists in danger.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45We had some tests done by BMW in Germany where
0:07:45 > 0:07:48they have tested wheels with a load being dropped on to them
0:07:48 > 0:07:52to simulate an impact on a kerb.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56This is how real alloy wheels should behave in the event of an accident.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01A bit of give, but no breakage, is perfectly normal.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But put the fake wheels under pressure
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and it's a totally different story.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It actually fractures the side of the wheel
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and you get sudden air loss pressure in the tyre, which could cause
0:08:13 > 0:08:16a major accident, you know, could cause loss of control of the vehicle.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20There is no easy way of telling what a fake wheel is made of
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and whether it's fit for purpose.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26We don't know what the quality of the alloy material is.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Some of these wheels we've lifted up today are very light.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And compared to the BMW alloys,
0:08:31 > 0:08:36the content of the alloy and the material is completely different to what we would use,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39so the level of what it would sustain in an accident or an impact
0:08:39 > 0:08:42could be considerably different and it could deform very easily.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Any of these fake alloy wheels could be dangerous.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I wouldn't like my family to be in that myself.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53I wouldn't be confident that that, in any sort of impact, would be safe.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The repercussions for the customer is very high.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59If they're in an accident, this could fail completely for them, you know,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01which is really a big worry for us.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It's not only fake alloy wheels that we need to watch out for.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10BMW have also seized fake brake discs.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16Genuine brake discs should withstand the friction of the brake pad gripping them.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19But there's no telling what fake brake disks are made of.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24This is what happened when BMW tested the fakes.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28The fake brake disc shatters completely into two pieces.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Imagine this happening to your car at high speed
0:09:30 > 0:09:32when you need to stop fast.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36When it comes to fake car parts,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39it's crunch time for manufacturers everywhere.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Well, I think the problem of counterfeit car parts overall,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47but particularly in terms of airbags, will get worse
0:09:47 > 0:09:51over the next few years, unless we, as an industry, can take action to tackle it now.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Fakery comes in many different forms,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03but it's at it's most shocking, perhaps,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06when the fakers are duping their own flesh and blood.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10We've discovered some parents who will go to extreme lengths to avoid
0:10:10 > 0:10:15their financial responsibilities to the family after a break-up.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19They'll even fake these - wage slips.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25When Ruth Dray from Ashford in Kent separated from her
0:10:25 > 0:10:28partner of 23 years, Stephen Banbury, she assumed he'd
0:10:28 > 0:10:32honour his financial responsibilities towards their teenage son.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Naturally, you'd expect him to have paid for his son.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40You know, he had done nothing wrong.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45When the Child Support Agency, which handles child maintenance
0:10:45 > 0:10:49payments, contacted Ruth, the numbers weren't adding up.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56I received a letter from the CSA saying that he had now earned...
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I think it was £220 a week.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04When, six weeks before, he had been in the region of 650-700 a week.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Ruth turned to Stuart Richards, legal enforcement manager
0:11:09 > 0:11:13at the Child Support Agency, who picked up her case.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Mr Banbury has attempted to show a lower level of income,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19so the calculation of his maintenance which is
0:11:19 > 0:11:22done as a percentage of that income would be lower again.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Now, most people try to earn more money, but not Stephen Banbury.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29With a bit of detective work,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Stuart's team figured out how he'd done it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35He had got hold of an accounting package
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and set up his own set of wage slips by putting in a set of fake
0:11:39 > 0:11:42details into those wage slips. Consequently, he was able
0:11:42 > 0:11:46to run off and create his own batch of fake wage slips to show the
0:11:46 > 0:11:50lower income that he wanted to try and have his maintenance based on.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Ruth was sickened to learn of
0:11:51 > 0:11:54the lengths that her ex had gone to to avoid contributing
0:11:54 > 0:11:56towards their son's living costs.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01He was making sure that he'd pay the minimal amount possible.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05That's what he thought of his own son. I think he's disgusting.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Stuart is showing us Stephen Banbury's fakery in black and white.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I've got here the real wage slips that show Mr Banbury's true income,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and the fake wage slips that Mr Banbury dummied up.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Banbury should have been paying £80 a week in child maintenance.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25He used his fake wage slips to slash that payment to just £34.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30This is a crime that I think is possibly the most heartless and despicable you could come cross.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32This is where a person is being asked to do the most basic
0:12:32 > 0:12:35thing in life - provide support for their child.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39What they attempt to do in this, they attempt to avoid their responsibilities.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42They will go to extreme lengths to do it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Shockingly, it isn't an isolated case.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48This is a crime that we're seeing an increase in the level of.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51We're detecting at least two such cases each month.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Stuart shows us how the fakers can try to shirk
0:12:53 > 0:12:57their financial duties with just a few clicks of a mouse.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I am just putting in a simple search under "fake wage slips".
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Already, I'm offered 20 sites just on the first page
0:13:05 > 0:13:08in front of me, and it runs to more than ten pages.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12These firms are offering services such as replacement wage slips,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15replacement P60 documentation.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18It causes me genuine alarm to think how people might use these
0:13:18 > 0:13:21sites to show that your income was either considerably lower
0:13:21 > 0:13:24or considerably higher than it really was.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Banbury had in fact paid Ruth and their son, Brad,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34nothing at all for three years, saving himself around £12,000.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38But his financial gain was their devastating loss.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I'm now actually in debt for about £25,000.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The only person who's going to suffer from that at the moment
0:13:46 > 0:13:48is his own son.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50What I haven't got, he doesn't get.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The clothes, money for going out with friends,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58even down to taking his driving lessons.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59I can't afford that for him.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Ruth even lost the family home where she had lived for 18 years.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10That was probably the worst part, losing the house.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15I think that was one of the worst things for my son, you know.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16He didn't want to leave there.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Finally, though, Ruth fought back.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Together with Stuart and his team at the Child Support Agency,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26a case was built against Stephen Banbury.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Finally, judgement day arrived for the wage slip faker.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Banbury faced two charges.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37The first was under the Fraud Act for false representation on a child maintenance form.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42The second was under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act for forging five wage slips.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44After a long wait, the verdict was in.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Stephen Banbury was here today accused of faking wage slips.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51He's pleaded guilty to that and, as a consequence,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53he now has a criminal record against him.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Banbury was sentenced to 120 days in prison for each offence,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00suspended for 12 months.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03He also received 120 hours of community service
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and was ordered to pay £200 in court costs.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10If he had got away with this fraud, he'd have deprived his own child
0:15:10 > 0:15:12of thousands of pounds worth of maintenance.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Mr Banbury is now going to have to pay all that maintenance,
0:15:15 > 0:15:16and we'll pursue him vigorously.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20We tried to speak to Mr Banbury after he was found guilty.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23He seemed to think there had been some kind of mistake.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I never done it in the first place.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27But he did do it, and the guilty verdicts against him
0:15:27 > 0:15:30are a life-changing outcome for Ruth.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36I can move on now. I know that he's not got away with it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Hopefully, he'll be made to pay now
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and Brad can have the things that he's missed out on.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51In the past on Fake Britain, we've investigated
0:15:51 > 0:15:55the fake number plates that are being sold by some unscrupulous companies.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Now, if a criminal gets hold of a number plate that's
0:15:58 > 0:16:02the same as yours, they can put it on another vehicle and then use that
0:16:02 > 0:16:06vehicle to commit crimes for which, in the end, you could be blamed.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07The fakers are out there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Trading Standards say they've got your number.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Previously on Fake Britain we've been out with Trading Standards
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and the police when they raided a company making
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and selling fake number plates.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29- Listen, you've stood there with an attitude to me the whole time.- No, I haven't.- You have. Let me speak.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- You're under arrest. You're not moving your car, OK?- Don't push me. Don't touch, man.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37But despite the crackdown, other number plate fakers might still be at it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Deborah Charles from Milton Keynes Trading Standards
0:16:39 > 0:16:42is heading up a unit following up the intelligence that
0:16:42 > 0:16:46a company could be selling fake number plates over the Internet.
0:16:48 > 0:16:54When the officers arrive at the scene, they run straight into one of the company directors.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Deborah Charles, Milton Keynes Trading Standards.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02We're here because I believe you're producing number plates which have got trademarks applied to them
0:17:02 > 0:17:04without the authorisation of the trademark holder.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08But fake trademarks aren't the only problem with the number plates
0:17:08 > 0:17:10thought to be sold by this company.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15You're not registered with the vehicle driving licence agency to produce number plates.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Any company selling number plates for use on the road must be
0:17:18 > 0:17:19registered with the DVLA
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and must check that the customers have the right documentation.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Otherwise, criminals could order a fake number plate that already
0:17:26 > 0:17:31belongs to an innocent driver and then use that vehicle to commit crimes.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35My colleagues here at the police are going to arrest.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37The man is immediately arrested.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39He's taken to off to a police van
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and then to the local police station.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Back in the office, it's time to have a good look around.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47These are blank number plates.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50To the left, there are the laminators.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54It's starting to look like a fake number plate factory.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59We've got the acetates that go onto these blank plates here.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Down here, we've got some parcels that are obviously
0:18:02 > 0:18:05ready for posting. These are the printing equipment and this
0:18:05 > 0:18:12is the computer where the majority of the information is going to be on.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15The company is thought to be selling fake number plates that carry
0:18:15 > 0:18:17fake car manufacturer trademarks on them.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22It's got the BMW logo applied to it and I'm almost certain that
0:18:22 > 0:18:26BMW won't have given permission for that trademark to be used.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And if this company isn't registered to sell number plates,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32the registration number they're printing
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and selling could already be owned by an innocent motorist.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39There is the possibility that criminals could use companies
0:18:39 > 0:18:42such as this to produce number plates which are later used in crime.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45They could find a vehicle, something in a car park,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48get the similar number plate and the same type of car,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and then go and, you know, commit an armed robbery in that vehicle.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55If that number plate is noticed by witnesses, of course,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58the innocent person is then going to be contacted by the police
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and it's going to be very inconvenient for them.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Business is clearly booming.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06An average order is going to be about £25 for a pair of plates.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Information that we've already seen, that we've already seized,
0:19:09 > 0:19:14said that they had 175 orders to produce in just one day.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19So this company could be raking in over £2,000 a day.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21But something's not quite adding up.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24If they're turning over that sort of huge volume,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28where are all the blank plates ready to be printed on?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32They have definitely got a storage, somewhere else, of the blank plates,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34because that's not all the blank plates.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38With a bit of digging, it's not long before Officer Nat Keen has a breakthrough.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- Excellent detective work, Nat. - There you go.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44We've just found an address there, so it appears
0:19:44 > 0:19:48that all the blank number plates get delivered there.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52It's good news, because there's lots down here. A massive operation.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The officers swiftly bag and tag all the number plates,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00printers and computer equipment that they've seized.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And, with no time to lose, it's on to the next location
0:20:05 > 0:20:09to see if they can track down the blank number plates that will prove
0:20:09 > 0:20:11the sheer scale of this operation.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14There weren't sufficient number plates on the premises
0:20:14 > 0:20:18to keep them going for very long, so I do suspect that they have got a lock-up somewhere
0:20:18 > 0:20:23where they keep these blank plates. That's where we're heading now.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But when they arrive they're unable to get in.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Luckily, the neighbours around here are pretty helpful.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yeah, if you don't mind giving me that.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Deborah can now get one of the number plate company employees on the phone,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and it's not long before he turns up.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- Hi, I'm Deborah Charles from Milton Keynes Trading Standards.- Hiya.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51At first, he seems pretty helpful and lets them straight in.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53There are invoices that show that number plates
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and blank number plates are sent here.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Yeah, that's correct. - Right, are there some here
0:20:59 > 0:21:01to make things more speedy?
0:21:01 > 0:21:05So the man says there are no number plates here,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07but the officers want to see for themselves,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and it's not long before they find what they're looking for.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- Here's a Volkswagen logo. - Oh, excellent.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Yeah, there's a Citroen trademark plate there
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and a Volkswagen on that one.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Now Deborah's about to find out what they were looking for all along.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29There could be between four and 500 plates here, blank plates.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33This is probably about a week's worth of blank number plates.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The interception of this weekly delivery confirms that
0:21:36 > 0:21:39the company could be producing hundreds of fake number plates a day
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and making tens of thousands of pounds a week.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46They believe there's more than enough evidence to arrest the second man.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I believe that you failed to register on the DVLA database
0:21:51 > 0:21:54as a supplier of vehicle number plates.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58For Deborah, it's a great result.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Today's seizures could prevent innocent motorists from being
0:22:01 > 0:22:04blamed for crimes committed by people who use a fake
0:22:04 > 0:22:06version of their number plate.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Here on Fake Britain, we've seen the extraordinary lengths that
0:22:16 > 0:22:19some counterfeiters will go to get their dodgy,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and sometimes dangerous, goods into the country.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26They smuggle them in through our ports and airports,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30concealed in containers, or secreted in suitcases.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31There are times, of course,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35when they don't bother and they just send them through the post.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38We've been with the UK's border agency to see what they discover
0:22:38 > 0:22:43in just a few hours at one of the UK's largest postal hubs.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Each year, millions of parcels coming into the UK are sorted here
0:22:51 > 0:22:54at Coventry International Postal Hub.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Many of those parcels contain counterfeit goods but,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59unluckily for the fakers,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03hawkeye Border Force officers Haskins and Singh are on the case.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07We've had a variety of different types of goods
0:23:07 > 0:23:10that are suspected to be counterfeit.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15We will put them through the x-ray which should show,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19in most cases, what the actual type of goods are.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22The fakers are trying to dupe unsuspecting shoppers like you
0:23:22 > 0:23:27or me with high end fake goods that increasingly look genuine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But, for Officer Haskins, it's about more than stopping shoppers from getting ripped off.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33It's about saving their lives.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38There can be flammability problems, toxic substances used to make them.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41There is a big health and safety risk.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44People might think that they are getting a good bargain,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46but if it catches fire, or electrocutes them,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48then it's not so good.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Today, the officers have identified some packages suspected
0:23:53 > 0:23:56of containing counterfeit items.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Immediately, they take them out of circulation.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's time to see what's inside this package,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05which the sender reckons is only worth 20.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09It's a load of DVDs with a fake valuation.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12We've got The Little Mermaid, there, and, as you can see,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16there was a lot more DVDs that would warrant a 20 value.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And these fake DVDs are in a different league to the ones
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- you might find down your local market.- It has a hologram.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's properly wrapped, and I don't think someone would be able to tell
0:24:26 > 0:24:29that that was counterfeit if they were to pick that up off a shop shelf.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35With the fakers producing DVDs of such high quality, the rewards could have been huge
0:24:35 > 0:24:38if they'd smuggled this batch past Border Force.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40There's about 100 DVDs in there.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43If they're selling those as the real McCoy in the shops,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47there are very big profit margins for them.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50You can see here, we've got UGG Australia.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55And we've even got authenticity cards
0:24:55 > 0:24:59even again, on the plastic packaging, to throw the customer.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03They'll think that's got to be real because it's not just come in a plain, plastic bag,
0:25:03 > 0:25:04it's got a real box.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06As a layman, looking at that,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10without the other clues that are on the packaging and that sort of thing,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13you'd probably not ever tell that was fake.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And, as with the DVDs, they've gone to great trouble to fake
0:25:16 > 0:25:20individual technical details which would fool most people.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24They've actually faked the hologram that would be on the genuine product.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The customer would see that and think, that's got to be real, it's got the hologram on.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32All these little bits of information that the counterfeiters do are to throw the customer.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36But the fakers aren't just into fashion, they're into sport, as well,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40as Officer Haskins is about to find out, with this next package.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43So we have a fake Ping golf club here.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I have been told by people that play golf
0:25:45 > 0:25:48that they are a very good-quality fake.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53It does feel like a lightweight, professional piece of kit, really.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Nothing is safe from the fakers, not even electronic gadgets.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02We've got these Nintendo DS games consoles, here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Quite well packed.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06All three different colours.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09There's an instruction manual here, an instruction booklet,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13it's quite impressive, the quality of them. It's very hard to tell.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I mean, if I didn't work here I probably wouldn't know what
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I'm buying on the High Street.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24From a health and safety perspective, fake goods are
0:26:24 > 0:26:28perhaps at their most shocking when they come in the form of medicines.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31We've seen fake Viagra on Fake Britain before, and it looks
0:26:31 > 0:26:34as though Officer Haskins is about to stop another
0:26:34 > 0:26:36load of it from entering the country.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40These will probably just be sold on the street to people in pubs and things like that.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42The organised gangs are upping their game,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47just to make this as marketable as possible to the general public.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It's actually embossed with Viagra.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51There's a logo, as well, in the actual tablet.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54But these fake tablets wouldn't just spoil your evening,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56they could ruin your health.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58There's no way of knowing the conditions under which this
0:26:58 > 0:27:00fake Viagra has been manufactured.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04It could contain fillers that are toxic, as well,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06with the active ingredient.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10People should be wary, if they are offered this type of thing to buy,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12that they could be harming their health.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15In this one package alone, there are enough fake Viagra tablets
0:27:15 > 0:27:18to make the fakers a massive profit.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Probably, 4,000 or 5,000 individual tablets in there, I would say.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25They might get sold on the street for £1 or £2 each,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27something like that.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30So you can see, it can be quite lucrative for someone
0:27:30 > 0:27:33who is willing to take the risk of importing these.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It's a great day's work for the officers so far,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39but it isn't over yet, as Officer Singh's got his eye
0:27:39 > 0:27:41on something really worrying.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42These are fake.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46It's basically a human growth hormone people use,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48such as bodybuilders.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This is potentially a very dangerous cargo.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54You're meant to store it at a certain temperature
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and, obviously, being in a parcel, it's nowhere near that temperature.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01However it got here, maybe in a plane of freight.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05From high-end fake fashion to convincing fake medicines,
0:28:05 > 0:28:10today's haul is a sign that the fakers are becoming increasingly sophisticated,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but the confiscated packages also represent another good day's work
0:28:14 > 0:28:18for the Border Force officers at Coventry International Postal Hub.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26That's all from Fake Britain. Bye-bye.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd