0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Get down. Get down! Put your hands behind your back, now!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27It's just an ordinary house.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29It could be anywhere in the country,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33but this is the Fake Britain house and it's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37You may not know it, but your home could be, too.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41In this series, we'll investigate the criminals trying to get
0:00:41 > 0:00:46their hands on your cash, by using fraud, forgeries and fakery.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51And I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Today, on Fake Britain, we expose the shockingly dangerous
0:00:57 > 0:01:01fake motorcycle safety wear on sale to British bikers.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03That could be the difference between a rider
0:01:03 > 0:01:08walking away, relatively uninjured, or severe injuries.
0:01:09 > 0:01:15We tell the tale of the man who had £750,000 he was spending on a house
0:01:15 > 0:01:17stolen by a fake firm of solicitors.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I was absolutely gutted. I felt sick.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25I didn't think it was possible that anything like that
0:01:25 > 0:01:26could ever happen.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31In Dover, the discovery of a huge consignment of fake and dangerous
0:01:31 > 0:01:35electricians' manuals being smuggled into the country.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37To do something of this standard
0:01:37 > 0:01:39requires a lot of time, a lot of organisation.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It is organised criminality.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And we join the border force, as they discover Class A drugs
0:01:46 > 0:01:49ingeniously hidden in fake cargos.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53I'm positive from the reaction there, there's heroin in this consignment.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Ask any biker,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05the one thing you can't afford to compromise on is safety.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08A good set of well-made protective clothing
0:02:08 > 0:02:13can reduce your injuries in a crash, or even save your life.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15However, it doesn't come cheap.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18The whole lot - hundreds, or thousands, of pounds.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22If you were to spend that money on this, however,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25you'd be throwing it away, because this is a fake.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And as we've discovered, if you were to rely on this in a crash,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33well, you could end up in real trouble.
0:02:33 > 0:02:371.2 million people ride motorbikes in the UK.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39When things go wrong,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43vital safety equipment goes some way to help to protect them.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49If you haven't got proper, decent, safety equipment,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52you are playing Russian roulette, as to whether you are going to
0:02:52 > 0:02:53walk away without a mark on you
0:02:53 > 0:02:57or you end up in A&E with catastrophic injuries.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Worryingly, Fake Britain's received information
0:03:00 > 0:03:05that fake motorbike safety wear is being sold online.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07We decided to investigate further
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and see if these fakes are dangerous.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The results are shocking.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17Looking online, auction sites advertise lots of bike leathers,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20described as genuine, for attractive prices.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24We opted for a set of Yamaha-branded leathers.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Very smart, too.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The leathers soon arrived. It turns out, they've come from Pakistan.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32We took them to motorsport Mecca, Brands Hatch,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35to ask the semi-professional riders there what they made of them.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41The quality of leather straightaway gives it away. It looks like vinyl.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It doesn't look like a good-quality leather.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Even the stitching doesn't look great.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47That would ring alarm bells straightaway.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51You can tell the stitching's terrible. You'd come off...
0:03:51 > 0:03:54It would probably wear down within seconds.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56If they cost more than a fiver, I'd be surprised.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Yeah, just by weight. Again, that's the most obvious thing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It just weighs nothing. It just hasn't got the material in it.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10When we contacted Yamaha, they confirmed the riders' suspicions.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12The bike leathers are fakes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The counterfeiters had clearly tried to imitate the colours
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and pattern of a genuine Yamaha suit.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24But we wanted to know whether the fakes were also dangerous.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29To find this out, we took the leathers all the way to Italy,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32to internationally renowned motorcycle equipment manufacturer,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Dainese.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Genuine Yamaha bike suits are made here in this complex
0:04:38 > 0:04:43in Molvena and are put through rigorous safety tests,
0:04:43 > 0:04:44including an abrasion test
0:04:44 > 0:04:47that mimics the conditions of an accident.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51The number of seconds the suit lasts is equivalent to the time
0:04:51 > 0:04:54it would protect someone sliding along the ground.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59First, the team performs the test on a genuine suit.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04To pass EU regulations for this test, the leather of the suit
0:05:04 > 0:05:09must withstand five seconds against a hard surface at 70mph.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Reassuringly, it lasts 5.7 seconds.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18But how would our fake from Pakistan fare?
0:05:18 > 0:05:23The team cut samples from the fake suit and put it to the test.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30After just three and a half seconds, it wears through to the skin,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33failing the vital safety standard.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39The fake leather would be very dangerous for the motorcycle rider.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42You can break very easily this leather.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Back in the UK, we showed the results of our test to Tony Carter.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54With 30 years as a police officer and now an accident investigator,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Tony's an expert when it comes to motorcycle safety.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01What was most significant is the time it took to wear away
0:06:01 > 0:06:03the poor quality leather.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07The difference between the fake suit and a genuine quality leather,
0:06:09 > 0:06:102½ seconds nearly.
0:06:10 > 0:06:1270mph on a motorway,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that could be the difference between a rider getting up
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and walking away relatively uninjured,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22or ending up in an ambulance and spending a long time in hospital
0:06:22 > 0:06:24recovering from severe injuries.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Some parts of genuine suits actually have two layers of leather,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32meaning they're substantially safer than our fake.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38And British bikers are buying fake motorcycle safety wear.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Alan Routledge appeared in court for importing dangerous
0:06:42 > 0:06:45counterfeit leathers, also from Pakistan.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Operating from units at a business park in Jarrow,
0:06:49 > 0:06:55he made £400,000 a year for eight years, selling the leathers online.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Moving house is supposed to be one of the most stressful
0:07:07 > 0:07:09things you can do - and no wonder.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12First, you've got to find a property,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15then get your offer accepted, arrange your mortgage,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18then you might have to sell your old house
0:07:18 > 0:07:21AND you have to sort out the move itself.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23At least if you've got a solicitor, you can rely
0:07:23 > 0:07:27on them to deal with the legal side of things.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and transferring huge sums of money.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Unless they're a fake.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33In which case, you can't.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37For most of us,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40buying a house is the biggest transaction of our lives.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It generally costs hundreds of thousands of pounds,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and involves a fair few stresses,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47but the reward of having your own home is worth it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52How would you feel, then, if you moved into your new home
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and then lost it all through no fault of your own?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Nick Christophy lives in Hertfordshire
0:07:58 > 0:08:00with his wife and two sons.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03When a dream house became available in a sought-after neighbourhood,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07he jumped at the chance to buy it, borrowing and scraping together
0:08:07 > 0:08:11hundreds and thousands of pounds from his family.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13I was very excited, the whole family were.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It's what you dream about when you're young and
0:08:15 > 0:08:19you're growing up and you dream about the kind of house you wanted
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and you think, "Right, this is the one".
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And so we were ecstatic about it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:31Nick's offer of £735,000 on his dream house was accepted,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and his solicitor worked closely with the firm representing
0:08:34 > 0:08:38the owner, Acorn Solicitors, in order to seal the deal.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43I've done all the right things. I bought through the estate agents
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and the solicitors. I got the keys from the estate agent,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48paid over our money and everything.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Nick and his family moved in, delighted with their new home,
0:08:51 > 0:08:57but he was about to receive a huge shock.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Postman come, put the letters through the door,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and one of them said, "To the owner-occupier."
0:09:02 > 0:09:07So I opened it, had a look at it and it was a notice of eviction.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Confused, Nick immediately phoned his solicitor, who tried to contact
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Acorn Solicitors to confirm that the money had gone through.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20She couldn't get hold of them. It was a dead line on the other side
0:09:20 > 0:09:25and she came back and said the house hadn't been paid for.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27That's when it all began to sink in.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32The money had been received by Acorn Solicitors, based in Rotherham,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and not to be confused with any other firm of the same name.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But the company, with an office and staff, had vanished.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46The awful truth dawned on Nick. Acorn was a fake firm of solicitors.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52They'd hoodwinked the seller of the house, as well as Nick
0:09:52 > 0:10:00and his solicitor, and stolen his entire purchase money of £735,000.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Nick was stunned, and faced the prospect of a crippling debt.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I was absolutely gutted. I felt sick.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Erm, I didn't think it was possible that anything like that
0:10:14 > 0:10:16could ever happen.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20And deep down, just thought that everything was going to be
0:10:20 > 0:10:24all right and it couldn't happen to me.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27To make matters worse,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Nick discovered that his dream house should never have been sold.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It was due to be repossessed.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I mean, I've worked hard all my life to provide for me and my family
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and just for that to be taken away from you...
0:10:40 > 0:10:44You literally own nothing. Erm, it was terrible.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It was devastating.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The shock hit Nick and his family very hard.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56It's completely changed my life.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Erm, emotions, stress,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04anxiety attacks... I've had depression, as well, at times.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I try to protect the kids and to keep them out of this.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I didn't want them to get affected. It was a tough time.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15The fakers had completely vanished
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and police have been unable to trace them.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21However, they've uncovered the complex means by which bogus
0:11:21 > 0:11:26company Acorn carried out their audacious deception.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It involved stealing the identity of a genuine lawyer.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Looking online, the fraudsters discovered a retired solicitor.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Without his knowledge, they changed his name online, via deed poll -
0:11:39 > 0:11:42a practice alarmingly easy and cheap.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46The fakers then contacted the Solicitors Regulation Authority,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50informing them the retired solicitor had changed his name
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and was setting up a new practice, Acorn Solicitors.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Shockingly, the SRA, the official trade body,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59didn't question the new company,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and put the fraudsters on the Law Society's Find-a-Solicitor website.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The fakers are thought to have used a counterfeit passport to open
0:12:08 > 0:12:14a new bank account, in order to receive Nick's £735,000.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17When Nick Christophy spoke to his solicitor,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20she assured him the SRA, who'd registered the fake company,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24had a compensation fund and he'd get his money back.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27They'd say, "Don't worry, there's a compensation fund."
0:12:27 > 0:12:30"You're covered, one way or the other."
0:12:31 > 0:12:35His application for compensation was rejected by the SRA,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38who are based here in Birmingham.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41This was despite the fact they'd kept the fake solicitor's details
0:12:41 > 0:12:46up on the website for six weeks after their fakery was exposed.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Antony Townsend is their Chief Executive.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56Sadly, as a regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority
0:12:56 > 0:13:01cannot help people who have lost money to criminals.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The SRA doesn't regulate criminals, we regulate law firms
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and genuine solicitors.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Consumers must take responsibility for making their checks,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13because if they don't check
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and they go to a fraudulent solicitor and they lose money,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19the only thing they can do is go to the police and see
0:13:19 > 0:13:22whether they can recover their money through the courts.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29Nick Christophy was left devastated, and feeling utterly abandoned.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30I'm disgusted with them.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34For someone, for me and my family,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39I was hoping to get a bit of help, but there was no help, at all.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44In an out-of-court settlement with his own solicitor,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Nick has managed to claw back two-thirds of the £735,000 stolen
0:13:49 > 0:13:52by the fakers, but he lost his dream house
0:13:52 > 0:13:56AND was faced with repaying his family the remaining
0:13:56 > 0:13:59hundreds of thousands of pounds that he borrowed.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Worryingly, Nick's experience isn't unique.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Other families have also had their mortgage funds stolen
0:14:06 > 0:14:07by fake solicitors.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13With £600 million exchanged every day in return for houses,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15it's an obvious target for criminals.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23Lawyer David Robinson is an expert in property fraud.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Fraudsters like conveyancing transactions,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28because they're high-value transactions
0:14:28 > 0:14:34where large sums of money pass on completion,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and even on exchange of contracts.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42David is bringing a case against the SRA, on behalf of Nick Christophy
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and four other people who fell victim to fake solicitors.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50The SRA had registered Acorn as a bona fide firm and they remained
0:14:50 > 0:14:55on the Find-a-Solicitor website even after their fakery had been exposed.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The information on the site is misleading.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03The system for admitting solicitors and holding them out
0:15:03 > 0:15:09needs to be changed, to make it more difficult for fraudsters
0:15:09 > 0:15:12to masquerade as lawyers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15As Nick Christophy discovered,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18it can be very difficult to spot a fake solicitor.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22However, David has some general advice for anyone
0:15:22 > 0:15:24thinking of buying a home.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Check up on the vendor's solicitor's name and the firm's name.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Ask in person. Don't get fobbed off.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Double the checks that you're making on the vendor.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39When appointing your own solicitor, choose - if you haven't chosen
0:15:39 > 0:15:43one before - one recommended by a friend, family or work colleague.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Use all the checks that are available. Lawyer checker is one.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Don't search the internet for the ultra-cheap price.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56It's a big transaction, so it's worth spending a few extra pounds
0:15:56 > 0:15:57to get peace of mind.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05For fakers, sometimes the hardest part of getting their hands
0:16:05 > 0:16:11on our cash is getting their goods into Britain in the first place.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14That means using all sorts of tricks and deceptions to get them
0:16:14 > 0:16:17past the UK's Border Force and, as you're about to see,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21that's a game that leads to some extraordinary discoveries.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25Previously on Fake Britain,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29we've revealed how fakers stashed counterfeit cigarettes
0:16:29 > 0:16:34in kitchenware, coffee grounds and even air conditioning units,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37in a desperate bid to get their fakes into the country.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42This morning, Fake Britain's come to Heathrow Airport,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45to join the Border Force, as they look for fake goods
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and other illegal products hidden in packages entering the country.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55It's not long before team member Annie turns up a suspect package.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59The paperwork states that it contains receivers,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01but that's not what's inside.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It looks like they are quite cheap headphones.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But when Annie opens a box, she's in for another shock.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11OK! Surprise. They are Dr Dres.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15They have concealed them
0:17:15 > 0:17:18very carefully with a different wrapping on it, by putting
0:17:18 > 0:17:22a different packaging, the description of goods
0:17:22 > 0:17:26is completely different, as well, from what they are.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Annie suspects the headphones are fakes.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31As a premium item,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Dr Dre Beats headphones are a popular target for counterfeiters,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40but this level of sophisticated concealment is something new.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43They will actually be sent to the right holders -
0:17:43 > 0:17:46that's Dr Dres right holders -
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and they will ascertain whether they are actually counterfeit.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55It's not long before another suspect parcel is discovered by the team.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Right. This is a package from Pakistan.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03It's described as Ludo boards. It's 32 kilos.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07That's a lot of gifts for one person.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I say it's just a really strange shipment.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12In all the years I've done this job, you don't come across it.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It just looks really, really odd.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I mean we're looking for packages, primarily. Class A drugs.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19So, with this sort of thing, X-rays aren't really going to
0:18:19 > 0:18:24show very much, so the only way to do it is going in by hand.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29So, I'm going to have to damage these ones, I'm afraid.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It's unusual that the whole package is marked as
0:18:32 > 0:18:34a gift for just one person.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Glen suspects the game boards could be fake,
0:18:37 > 0:18:42and simply a way of smuggling something inside into the country.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43And he's not sure what.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46It's two layers of card, so...
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Luckily, Glen's nose for fakes is highly developed,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52and he soon finds something suspect.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55There's no packages...
0:18:55 > 0:18:59BUT there's like a chemical smell coming up from this.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02It looks slightly wet and, when you come up close,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06there's little glints, like crystallisation.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The damp patches could be glue,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12but they could also be something much more worrying.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I think they've impregnated the cardboard with diamorphine.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18That's what I'm suspecting from the smell.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Liquid diamorphine is better known as heroin.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28But to be certain, he must do a special chemical test.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32If the acid goes pink, there is heroin in the Ludo boards.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35So, what we'll do now is get one of our test kits.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39We have to cut a piece of the cardboard...
0:19:42 > 0:19:43..put these bits in the test...
0:19:43 > 0:19:47It's basically concentrated acid, so we have to be quite careful.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And we have to crack the acid open and then wait for the reaction.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52So, let's crack the acid.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Can you see the colour there?
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It's sort of going...like, a pink tinge.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Glen's suspicions seem to be confirmed.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05So I'm positive from the reaction there,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08there's heroin in this consignment.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The team search the remaining fake boards
0:20:15 > 0:20:20and discover four they suspect have been laced with liquid heroin.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24They soak the drugs in liquid form and then impregnate it on.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26That's how they do it.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28One final test remains,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and it involves a furry investigator.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36This is Maggie, and she specialises in cash and Class A drugs.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39She'll freeze and point at the consignment with her nose
0:20:39 > 0:20:43where she thinks the Class A or cash is.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48The Ludo boards are put back into the parcel,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and it's hidden amongst others to disguise its contents.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54But Maggie makes straight for the suspect game boards.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I've brought the dog in, run over the consignment,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02and she's given me a positive indication on a box in the middle.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05We used the dog today to get another indication.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09It backed up the field test as well, to say that's diamorphine in that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12It's good team work today. It's very good team detection.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17And the team's left in no doubt that the board games were simply
0:21:17 > 0:21:20a fake cover for smuggling heroin into the country.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24These fakers are playing with people's lives.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Had the border agency staff not detected the package,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31dangerous Class A drugs
0:21:31 > 0:21:34could have been on the streets of Britain within days.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Glen can't be sure of the exact amount of the drug,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41but it's still a good find for the team.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46With this now, we're going to secure it in a safe environment
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and maintain our chain of evidence if it goes to court.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And I've passed on all the details to our investigation colleagues
0:21:53 > 0:21:57who will look into this seriously and proceed on with it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Have a look at this big green book.
0:22:08 > 0:22:15It's the Institution of Engineering and Technology's Requirements For Electrical Installations.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Electricians have another word for this, though.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They call it their Bible.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It's a rulebook that makes sure
0:22:22 > 0:22:27that every electrical installation in the UK is absolutely safe.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28However...
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Here's another one.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Almost identical, but this one is a fake.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37And, as we've discovered,
0:22:37 > 0:22:42someone is trying to smuggle these into the UK in their thousands.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47This morning, head of East Kent Trading Standards, Mark Rolfe,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50is on his way to inspect a surprising new haul
0:22:50 > 0:22:51of suspect goods -
0:22:51 > 0:22:56fake wiring regulations for professional electricians.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58The books were seized at Dover docks,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01working with our colleagues in the Borders Agency,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and we've now got them in a secure storage unit.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08Genuine wiring regulations have been in use since 1882, and are
0:23:08 > 0:23:13the industry standard in Britain for ensuring electrical wiring is safe.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Containing what professionals call "the regs", every electrician
0:23:18 > 0:23:22in the UK is expected to hold a copy of this gold standard.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26For safety reasons, it's critical that they're correct.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31This shipment of possible fakes was discovered being
0:23:31 > 0:23:33smuggled into local docks.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Like every port in the UK, Dover is inundated with counterfeit goods
0:23:37 > 0:23:39coming in from overseas.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42The manuals have come from Latvia.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It's not the usual manufacturing source,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49so the Border Force has immediately flagged them as suspicious.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Mark arrives at the storehouse and makes straight for the locker where
0:23:52 > 0:23:55the suspect manuals are being stored.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59There's quite a lot more there than I'd imagine, to be honest.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00That's quite a significant printing operation.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Mark is keen to take a look at what's inside.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The paper is a reasonable quality paper, it's professionally bound.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13I've seen books in the past where the binding isn't what it should be,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17but this has clearly been professionally manufactured.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21To do something of this standard requires a lot of time,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25a lot of organisation - you know, it is organised criminality.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29This isn't just a small-scale market trader chancing his arm.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Somebody's gone to a lot of trouble to do this.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34There's a reason the fakers have laboured to counterfeit
0:24:34 > 0:24:38something as unusual as an electrician's manual.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42We know that the original version sells for somewhere
0:24:42 > 0:24:44in the region of £80.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49So I think somebody trying to sell a fake version of this
0:24:49 > 0:24:53could easily get away with £40 or £50 and people would still think they're getting a bargain.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56£50...800 copies,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00that's still £40,000 of criminal benefit.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07But it's not the money that's the real worry with these fake manuals.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11We took one of the suspect books to expert Mark Coles.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15He's Technical Regulations Manager for the IET,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19the body which compiles the genuine electrical standard.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22He immediately confirms it's fake, and is appalled by the possibility
0:25:22 > 0:25:27of counterfeit versions of the book being out there in use.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29This is the IET wiring regulations.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Now, every electrical installation in the country needs to comply
0:25:32 > 0:25:33with the content of this book.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37The idea of a standard is, every time the installation is performed,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40we get the same result so that every house is as safe as the next one.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42If you install to a counterfeit book,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45then we could be installing a dangerous installation.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Compared with the real book, it's certainly very convincing.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53What are the differences? Well, they're very similar.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Put the two together, you'll see that the counterfeit copy is darker,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59darker green.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And you'll also find, if you do have a fake copy,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04the paper's a bit thicker, a bit stiffer.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Now, when we put the two together and look at the spines,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10we'll see in the counterfeit copy,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13the printing on the spine is moved to one side.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16The differences on the outside are one thing,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19but it's those on the inside that have got Mark worried.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23When we compare these two tables of the genuine and the counterfeit copy,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25at this point in the table, we have the number 36.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29At the same point in the table of the counterfeit copy, we have 26.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32This means that you'll need to put a larger cable in,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35therefore installing to this fake copy,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36it'll cost a homeowner more.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Amazingly, this isn't the only fake IET manual the organisation
0:26:41 > 0:26:43has come across.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Jack Day is currently studying electrical installation
0:26:49 > 0:26:51at Cambridge Regional College.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Online, he bought another IET wiring manual, the On-Site Guide.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01He tried to use it to answer a question set by his lecturer
0:27:01 > 0:27:06about what thickness of cable to use in a particular installation.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09It wasn't until I was sitting in class that we realised
0:27:09 > 0:27:10there was something wrong with it.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It was when we were doing conduits,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17so it went from, 16, 20 to 35 then 32, whereas it should have gone
0:27:17 > 0:27:2016, 20, 25, 32.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Steven Devine is Jack's lecturer.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28We quickly realised that some of the information here was false,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30as there is no such thing as a 35ml conduit.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33On identifying that there was a problem within this publication,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I contacted the IET and as a result of that,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39I sent them a copy of the On-Site Guide
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and they established that there were more than 80 errors
0:27:43 > 0:27:44in the publication.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49And potentially these errors could cause risk of poor installation
0:27:49 > 0:27:53and, essentially, risk to life through fire or electric shock.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Jack's now bought the right manual,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00but the experience has left him chastened.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02It could've caused me to fail my exams.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03I could've wired up a house.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I could've caught alight.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11My message to these people who are putting these books together
0:28:11 > 0:28:14is please stop, because you're doing untold damage to the industry
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and also bringing dangers into peoples houses.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.