Episode 12 Crimewatch Roadshow

stealing money from thousands of formal ball people with just one

everyday this week, facing up to the feelings that get you down. We need

your help to sort them out. Today, it starts with a phone call,

but it is a con that netted these criminals a quarter of �1 million.

We are taking to the skies above central London to see how the Met

Police's Air Support Unit helps fight crime in the capital.

And, hunting for the thief who made off with a unique piece of boxing

history. Our roadshow team are out and about,

and they are with the Met Police on the north-eastern edge of London, so

where are you? Good morning, today I am in Essex,

the home to the Air Support Unit. There are three helicopters based

here, on call to police London, behind me, 24 hours a day. They are

the capital's ie in the sky, and we will find out how instrumental they

are in the fight against crime. There is nothing worse than a scam

which deliberately targets older people, and there are sophisticated

fraudsters at large who will stop at nothing to get their hands on your

money. If you want to avoid becoming a victim, watch carefully.

Thousands of people in London have been ripped off by a scam known as

courier fraud in the past two years, and these offences are on the rise.

Even people who know all about crime can be caught out. This woman is a

retired businesswoman in her 70s and has been a member of her local crime

prevention panel for more than 20 years. But she was taken in by this

very sophisticated scam. What happens is the fraudsters get hold

of victims' phone numbers and addresses from online directories,

they contain information, they will phone up the victim, purporting to

be from the bank or the police, they will tell them their card has been

compromised. She was getting ready to go out to a charity event when

the phone rang. She was eager to leave the house, so her mind was

elsewhere. The fraudsters had timed their call perfectly. I am from the

Apple Store, he said, somebody has cloned your card, they have used it

to buy something in the store. convinced her that somebody was

using her card details to make fraudulent transactions. They will

gain the trust of the victim by saying they have stopped the fraud,

and they will need to collect the cards from them. The fraudster told

her to call her bank, using the contact number printed on the back

of her card. But they held the end of the line open, so when the victim

phones back, they are connected to the full studies or their

accomplice. She thought she was phoning the bank, but she was

speaking to another criminal. plausible man with an educated voice

and said the telephone. He asked for my name, the questions he asked are

exactly like when you bring up your bank and want to do something by

telephone banking. The fraudster said he was transferring her call to

her bank's Security Department. This time, there was another voice,

again, just another member of the gang. He said, you are never to give

away your pin number. I said, yes. I said, I have not done that. He said,

just press on the telephone keypad the first and the third numbers.

There was a pause, and he came back and said, sorry to bother you, could

we now have the two other missing numbers? They hold a piece of

software on an iPad or an iPhone close to the receiver, it will heal

-- here the ketones, and it will decode them into a pin number.

criminals told her that they needed her card and that they would send a

career to collect it. I said, how am I to know this is genuine? He said,

hold on. He went away. He said, I can give you the car registration

number. The criminals gave her the details of the taxi they had booked

and told her to put the card in an envelope. It arrived very quickly, I

was surprised, that was another thing that dawned on me afterwards.

After checking the registration, she handed over her card. The criminals

used it to go on a spending spree. She is one of thousands of victims

of career fraud in the London area. Here, this is just a fraction of the

thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods bought by the Courier

fraudsters using stolen cards. Police used this room at the station

to store the goods they have recovered from the fraudsters, from

televisions to design a close, hundreds of items have been seized.

In the last three years, there have been 3000 of these frauds in

London, totalling �10 million. January, these brothers were

convicted of career fraud against more than 200 people. They had

stolen a quarter of �1 million. The man on the left was sentenced to six

years and his brother to four years. They were the first suspects

convicted of this particular crime. They lived together in a council

flat in King's Cross. When we visited, it was full of designer

clothing, 50 bottles of aftershave, �2500 worth, design issues, jeans,

many of which had not been warned. They were living a highlife, one of

them had been abroad on holiday on other people's cards, four nights in

a Miami beach-front apartment. Henrietta was conned by a different

gang. Police say the full studies usually target older people. Most of

the victims tend to be elderly or otherwise for mobile. The oldest

victim we have had is over 100, many have been over 90, and the average

age is 74, relatively wealthy, living in decent areas, which is

where they make their money. Henrietta is angry that she has been

caught out by these very convincing crooks. I feel very cross. I have

been in this crime prevention business for a long time, the

training should have told me it was a fraud. But somehow, it did not,

because they did everything systematically, exactly as you would

want you to be aware, if they get hold of your stolen cards, they will

be spending on them straightaway, often going to expensive shops. That

is the second part of this. The police want your help, especially to

track one woman, she has gone on a huge spending spree in a high-end

department store in stolen cards, and we have got some CCTV for you to

look at. She is using a bank card and tapping

in a pin number, but there is one problem. The bank card belongs to

somebody who is 78 years old. Police believe this woman used the card to

buy a diamond ring worth �13,900. Easy to spend money when it belongs

to somebody else. She looked good for 78! This is part

of a scam, they spend straightaway. Yes, once the career has dropped off

the card, they will tested at an ATM, and had to be shops and spend

the money. They want to know how much people have got in their

account, especially this one, you are keen to catch her. We have got

some more CCTV in London and Reading, again, shopping. Over a

period of two days, she spent �100,000 using two peoples cards,

both victims pensioners. Terrible for people taken in by this, it is

terribly upsetting. What is the advice? Never give your pin number

over the phone, do not fit into the phone, if they tell you to call back

to the bank, leave it for five minutes, go and get a capacity,

either that or use a different phone, use your mobile instead of a

landline. The aware. Lights, camera, action, time to take

a look at the first batch of CCTV footage from around the country, can

you help the police find any of this lot?

A man enters this designer shop in the Battersea area of London in

January. He wants some of the nice gear on sale but does not want to

pay for it. He hides himself behind the display and grabs one back,

hiding it in the plastic one he is holding. Then, he takes another and

hides that as well. His friend joins him and takes yet another bag. The

sales assistant asks if they need any help. But they have got

everything they came in for and make a move.

If you recognise them, get in touch. These men are heading towards acting

in West London. They are travelling light, when they get on the bus, and

take their seats by the luggage rack. Look what one of them is

carrying by the time they get off. It is a huge suitcase. Off on your

holidays? Can you spot the difference? The suitcase contained

jewellery worth almost �300 and �500 worth of clothes. It is an open and

shut case. Call us if you know them.

It is the end of the route on this bus in archway in London, this bus

driver is having trouble with a passenger who refuses to get off. He

is on the phone to police, as the man finally decides to leave. He

exits through the middle doors, but instead of walking off, he comes

round to the front. The cameras do not quite catch it, but he had but

the driver in the face. Let's help the police catch this violent man.

If you recognise him or any of the others, pick up the phone, you can

call us, text us or e-mail us. Remember to add the space in your

text message, or else your message will not get through.

Police in the neighbouring Thames Valley force are hunting for a thief

who made off with the unique piece of boxing history.

Jack Petersen was a boxing superstar. He was the first Welshman

to win both the British and Empire light heavyweight and heavyweight

titles. In 1934, he secured his very prestigious Lonsdale Belt. He died

in 1990, and the belt is a priceless reminder of what he achieved. It

meant the world to his family. Until one day, it was stolen. It is

sickening, absolutely sickening. The thought of some thief coming in to

my house and taking it, it fills me with disgust. Police believe the

belt was stolen sometime between March and May this year, from his

home in Buckinghamshire. We have oil central heating and we suddenly

realised, with my neighbours, that our oil tanks had been filtered,

people had stolen the oil. As a result, one becomes very conscious,

there is a thief around, somebody has stolen the oil. I said, my God,

I wonder if they have taken anything else. I looked for the belt and

found it had gone. Somebody came into my house and just walked out

with it. The nine carat gold belt, which was very similar to this one,

was made by a jewellery firm in 1908. These belts are very rare.

There are no replicas, so every belt is an original, there are not many

around. They would be collectable, very. It is a family heirloom. It is

about 100 years old. Dad fought for it. Jack retired at the age of 24

after sustaining an eye injury. He was the first boxer to be elected

president of the British boxing board of control. He was extremely

well-known, he was a great icon in this area, and he went on to become

a steward on the board, and the chairman and president. He was a big

influence in Great Britain. Buckinghamshire, a unique family

heirloom is sorely missed, and Jack's someone sit back. Even at my

age, I would like to see that guy will stop I am prepared to fight him

for it anyway cares to say, because it is aided dusting act. -- it is a

disgusting act. He is understandably upset about the

theft of his father's belt. I am joined by Ian Williams from the

Thames Valley Case, who are investigating this case. It is

unusual. The item is unique.If we can look at it again, it is not the

same as the modern Lonsdale belts, is it? Yap, the main plaque has a

picture of Lord Lonsdale. This one has a picture of two boxers

fighting. We heard about all of thefts in the area. Do you think

they are linked? I don't believe that is linked. Getting this item

back is important to the family. You are boxing fan yourself, aren't you?

As a fan, I can appreciate the history behind it. But anyone who

meets John could understand the sentiments behind the item. A very

valuable item. The danger is that it could have been stolen for scrap.

would be a shame if that is what has happened and it has been melted

down. It is a night of such a story value. One theory is that it could

have been stolen to order. If you know anything, get in touch.

Time to look at today's wanted faces. First is this man, Constantin

Apostol. He is wanted by police in connection with a number of

burglaries in London and Essex. He is described as having greasy hair

and a small scar on his left arm. Detectives in North Yorkshire want

your help to find this man, Ashley Matthew Scott. He is wanted for

questioning in connection with a burglary where more than �30,000

worth of property was taken. He has tattooed of Angels on his leg and

chest and is known to have connections in the Selby, Leeds and

York areas. Next, Farhan Khan, who also goes by

the name Pervez Umer Mirza. He was jailed for two years for conspiracy

to defraud, but failed to keep to the conditions of his early release

and is now wanted act in prison. He is described as being of heavy

build, with connections to London and the Netherlands.

Finally, look at this man, Danoto Juverdano. Have you seen him

recently? He is wanted for questioning in connection with a

burglary in London. Originally from Romania, he is not known to have any

friends, work or family in this country, but frequents the bonnet

area. He is sometimes unshaven and occasionally wears glasses. If you

recognise any of these guys, get in touch.

Still to come: help us find this man, caught on CCTV just before he

stole �200 from an 84-year-old pensioner.

If you are in London and you see a police helicopter in the sky, it

will have come from here. There are three helicopters based here. PC

Tony Donnelly regularly flies with the fleet. And very expensive kit it

is, too. It is about �5 million worth of equipment. We have a

digital downlink and uplink system, so it can be pictures from and to

the aircraft. We have night some. It can light up a large area. Then we

have a try censored camera. Full colour TV camera. A telescope and a

thermal imaging camera. And plenty inside as well? The camera feeds

inside to the screens here. It is all touchscreen technology, so I can

have the TV camera or the moving map. And I can tie the map to the

camera, so I can type in an address, and the camera will look at

that address. And you do this every day. What would you say your best

job has been? The best jobs are the missing people jobs, when you find

them and you know your search has assisted the police and you have

either saved somebody's life or found somebody's relative. Let's

look again. So you on the map there. I can put in a target and then skew

the camera to the exact address we are looking at. We spent a day in

the skies above central London with the crew of one of the helicopters

based here. High above the streets of London,

the sky police are on patrol. They can follow anything happening below

and capture it on camera. It down speed in excess of 100 miles an

hour. The Met Police by chopper had no problem following this speeding

motorbike. Left, northbound. He is pulling over. He has switched his

lights off. Three, two, one, now. was not long before the driver was

stopped by the cops on the ground. Meet India 99, �6 million worth of

helicopter. There are another two like it in the fleet. Each has a

crew of three. Using the latest technology, they can police exactly

what is going on beneath them. name is PC Brad Franklin. I am an

air observer attached to the support unit. The job is to fly in the

aircraft and assist police on the ground with their jobs. Brad sits at

the back of the chopper will stop his job is to make tactical

decisions based on the maps and CCTV beamed onto the screens in front of

him. The unit is on constant stand-by, and the callouts can be

diverse, from vehicle pursuits to suspect searches. Much of their

day-to-day work involves looking for vulnerable people who have gone

missing. A call has come in. There is a search for an old man who is

missing from a local hospital. The helicopter crew can search faster

than anybody on the ground. A keen eye is vital. PC Chris Gould, who

sits next to the pilot, is operating the powerful camera, which has a

sophisticated zoom. It can pick up object which are miles away. The

team think the man may have wandered into these woods, but even with the

best view in the house, it is difficult to see through thick tree

cover. Some of these tree areas are too dense. They are working with

officers on the ground at all times. Brad decides a dog would search more

effectively on this occasion. was a negative result, but it is

also positive, because that area has been ticked off and we can look to

move resources elsewhere to find the person. The team can't do any more

to help here, but a call comes in that a man has been spotted with a

knife in a park in east London. This is just five minutes away, and India

99 is on the case. There are two males with knives, who have put them

down their trousers. One man with a T-shirt and an Afro. It is a sunny

day. There are a lot of people in the park. So first, we have to try

to identify the group with what was a sketchy description. That group,

do you reckon? What did they just pass? They can hear the helicopter

overhead. We will see what we can do. He passed something to that guy,

but I didn't see what it was. think this is the man with the

knife. The chase is on. He has taken his cap off and route his wood,

which changes his appearance. were aware of our presence. We are

obviously quite audible, so they were moving away from the group and

going under tree cover, trying to change their clothing and basically

trying to make it as difficult for us as possible. Running.He has a

couple of police officers behind him. Then they started to run and it

was not too difficult for us to control. The group split up, and

working with officers on the ground, India 99 is able to guide them to

two of the men. We have a discarded kitchen knife. If someone is in a

park with lots of members of the public and is in possession of a

large kitchen knife, it is quite scary. So too have been part of that

arrest is satisfying. Although the team at Lippits Hill rarely get to

handcuff criminals, they play a key role in keeping the streets of

London safe. I have come into the control room,

the nerve centre of the operation. I am joined by Inspector original

Brandon, who runs things around here. It is a big operation. We have

three helicopters and 48 members of staff that deliver this air support

service to London. I have to ask, is it a case of boys and their toys?

Although I know some women work here. There is certainly a great

deal of pleasure gained from flying helicopters, but we have three

female observers that add to our team. I am sure it is a lot of

people's dream job. Tony gave me a run through of how it works. So this

shot is from a helicopter which took off in our opening link. This is a

live shot coming from our helicopter. One of the benefits is

that we can broadcast the pictures live from the aircraft into control

rooms. Today Mr, ask the aircraft if they can pan right and zoom in to

the top of the Shard? We can talk to the helicopter and guide what the

camera shows us. This has a benefit to officers on the ground, because

it allows them to make tactical decisions and deploy officers

appropriate Lee. So you have this screen here, but the screen is

showing the same pictures at different units across the

Metropolitan force? Every control room in London is getting this live

feed. So as we work with the helicopter, those pictures are

coming into every control room, allowing them to make decisions.

have you seen a difference since using this? It must have been

developed over time. We have always had the camera capability. This

digital downlink allows us to put near broadcast quality teachers into

both hand-held receivers on the street as well as control rooms. It

has made a huge difference to policing. We can see the Shard,

which we all recognise, in central London. But you often have to look

at people 's homes if dealing with neighbourhood crime, and that is

noisy. It is noisy, and we accept that. We try to fly at height and be

as neighbourly as we can. We don't get many complaints, but I do

respond personally to all who complain. I explain what we are

doing, and most of the time, they appreciate the work we do. We do

also have a Twitter feed if you would like to follow us. That gives

up-to-date information on what that helicopter is doing hovering over

your house. So you talk to the general public. Thank you so much.

It has been fascinating in the control room, seeing how it is all

put together. Now, having your stuff nicked can be

getting, but most things can be replaced. But imagine if your pet

was stolen. Dog mapping is on the rise. We are joined by Lucy and her

dog or B, who himself was recently dognapped. I am pleased to see him

here, but tell us what happened 's we took Bobby to my parents ' house,

and left him and his brother with them while we were on holiday.

while we were on holiday, they were taken from my parents' garden.

you think they were taken to order. Massive panic for you guys. What did

you do? Firstly, we contacted Dog Lost, who put their profiles on

their website, and they advised us on what to do to get them back. We

informed the police and the vets and dog homes, and there were posters

all around Dorset. We put lots of things on Facebook and we even put a

video on new chip. We also advertised a reward. We said we

would give �2000. You got a phone call a couple of days later, which

was strange. Somebody said, I have just bought two border Terrier

puppies, I have had them for a couple of days, and I have just

figured out they stolen, and they are yours, so I will bring them

back. We found it a bit suspicious, because he had only just found the

tags, and if he had had them for a couple of days, he would have seen

them straightaway. He was keen to get the reward money. It did not

seem like the good Samaritan, perhaps. You have done everything

right, the dog has been micro-chipped, and that is how you

got them back eventually, but this is making cue nervous, because you

do not want to lose him again. does run off, somebody could be

waiting to carry him off again, it makes it not as pleasant and

experience, to note there are people who would just take him without

thinking. The thieves did not even know that one of the dogs had a

heart condition, so needed medication. Yes, he is on

beta-blockers, and he could not access them for four days. Luckily,

he was fine. The main thing, they are back with their owners. He is

having a lovely time! We need everybody's help, the police

do, they are trying to catch a thief who conned his way into an elderly

woman's house. The is some disturbing CCTV.

The man at the door tells the woman she owes him money for work he has

upstairs. He steals her purse and �200, leaving the woman confused and

Paul Murray is leading this investigation. We have got some

clear CCTV, it not only shows the face, but it is good in terms of the

conversation that was recorded. This is down to a neighbour of this

lady, putting a camera in the house, following an incident earlier in the

year, where a man had stolen some money. Are you certain this is the

same man, come back again? Yes, in the similarities of approach.

first occasion, he claimed to have carried out some repairs on the

house, and asked her for some money. The same thing happened on the

second occasion. It is a despicable thing to happen. Let's go through

the description, we have got a picture of him here. Let's run

through that. We think he is middle-aged, white, he was wearing a

grey baseball cap, he is dressed in a grey tracksuit top and bottom is,

and he is wearing sunglasses. a London accent. If you recognise

this man or know anything about him, please get in touch. It is time for

a quick appeal that needs your help. North Wales Police have asked us to

help with a theft that happened in Colwyn Bay. A bronze sculpture was

stolen from the Bay Gallery at the Bay View Centre sometime between 8pm

on the 1st of April and 6am the next day. You can see it here, a solid

runs, two foot tall, unique sculpture, and the owner is

desperate to get it back. It is worth �2000. Did you see anybody

acting suspiciously? It might have been stolen for scrap. Maybe you

have been offered it in terms just like in exchange for cash. Now, more

criminals caught on candid camera. End of November. This man takes a

seat on the top deck of this London bus, heading to Clapham. When he

decides to get off the bus, something catches his eye. He leans

over and takes it off the empty seat. What has he got? Look at his

hand as he takes the stairs. He has picked up someone's wallet. And off

he goes. Who is he? Do you know him?

Norwich, in July last year. One of these men is paying a great deal of

attention to camera equipment worth more than �1000. He is removing the

security tag whilst the other man watches on. Halfway through their

disturbed and they move away. But then, they come back to finish the

job. He picks up the expensive camera and dropped it into his

friend's carrier bag. Let's see that again. Let's catch these two as

quick as a flash. This one is a huge assault, but he

is still needing catching. Watch the man in the hat. Although he is

waiting in line, he is actually here to rob the bank. Now, he is at the

counter, telling the cashier he has got a gun. He leaves with three

grand. Here he is again, months later, at another in Middlesex. He

walks over claims to have a gun, and asks the cash. The same month,

different bank. Again, it is the same story. Altogether, he robbed

eight banks over three months, stealing a total of �11,000. Do you

recognise this bearded bandit? Give us a call. Call us if you recognise

anyone, or text us. You can also e-mail. Remember, you

can always call Crimestoppers It is blackmail next, a horrible

crime, and police in Croydon are hunting for a man who has been

targeting foreign students. He tells them they will be deported unless

they hand over cash. Foreigners who come to study in

London should feel secure in their host city. But to students who

became the Vic terms of blackmail have felt anything but. This is the

man who is doing it, police need to catch him. This man is 22 and comes

from Pakistan. He has been studying for a postgraduate diploma in

business studies since 2011. He is played by an actor, he is too

frightened to be identified. He paid this blackmail almost �1500. If he

had refused to pay up, the Cook told him he would be deported. November

last year, and he was at his part-time job at a butcher shop in

is London. The blackmailer walked in, he said his name was Imran, he

told him that his wallet had been stolen and asked if he could borrow

�8 to pay for a bus ticket back home to Sheffield. But it was all a pack

of lies. He believed him, and he lent him the money. Imran then told

him he might be able to get him shifts at the Royal mail, where he

worked. He then left. Days later, he received a call. Imran wanted to

meet him. He had good news about the job. But the venue was outside

Croydon's UK Border Agency offices, and the bombshell, Imran did not

work for the Royal mail after all, he said he worked for the Home

Office, and that he was at risk of deportation. All lies. The way that

the suspect operates, he persuaded the man to meet him outside the

immigration offices, where he told him he was under surveillance, and

if he did not pay him a large amount of money, he would be deported and

arrested. Believing Imran to be genuine, and scared he would be

deported, he withdrew �500 in cash and handed it over. But later that

day, Imran rang again to demand a further �500 to avoid arrest. He was

being blackmailed. He is not the only foreign student based in London

targeted by this man. Police believe he has extorted a huge �9,000 from

another foreign student, spinning the same lies. The blackmailer

continued to pester him over the phone. He handed over a further �450

before he broke under the pressure and told his friend is Lamott had

been going on. He looked really down, I asked him if there was

anything wrong with him, and he said, there is nothing wrong, but

after that, he started crying. asked him what was up, and he said,

somebody has come to him. The incident has had a profound effect

on him. This man has taken advantage of a vulnerable person who was

worried about how the police or his friends would react when he told

them about what had happened. This has lost a lot of money, and he has

lost his confidence. It has had a massive impact on him.

This man calls himself Imran, what else to you know about him? He is an

Asian male in his late 20s, early 30s, he speaks English, but he has

told his victims he is from Pakistan and he speaks fluent Urdu. He makes

the initial approach in English, but then he speaks to them in Urdu to

win their trust. What can you tell us about the other victim? It is a

student as well, he did not reported to the police for about a month, and

he lost �9,000. They are bona fides students, they have got every right

to be in the country? Yes, they are studying legally. We can hear the

helicopter up ahead, we will see more about that in a moment. In

terms of the officers and the official authorities, they would

never approach anybody in this way, asking for money for a visa? Yes,

this man has targeted vulnerable individuals who have not been aware

of how the system works, they might have been isolated from friends and

family. It has had a terrible impact. You feel there could be

other victims? Yes, I would urge any victims to come forward and tell the

police. Do get in touch if you know. We will find out more about the

helicopter in just a moment. Time for a quick update, yesterday we

featured those terrible sex assaults in Canning Town, police tell us they

are looking into two possible new leads, but they need more calls, so

please do get in touch. We showed CCTV of a woman shopping

with what they believe are stolen cards, police are following up some

brilliant information, so thank you. Where are you going to be tomorrow?

Tomorrow, we are going to be in west London, on the Trail of uninsured

cars and vans, and also, some unbelievable CCTV footage of thugs

who attacked a GP on his own driveway. They need catching, those

guys. Join us tomorrow, good eye. If you want to see our CCTV again, head