Episode 17 Crimewatch Roadshow

looking over your shoulder? The cash machine scam leaving customers

Roadshow. We are alive -- we are lied again this morning and raring

to go. On the programme today: This tiny device is all they need. Our

thieves steal your card at the cash machine.

Getting gangs and guns off the streets. How West Midlands Police

and parents are tackling gang culture.

And a botched robbery at a bookies. Help us catch these bungling

burglars. Our Roadshow team are travelling the country. Today they

are in Balsall Common, just south-west of Birmingham. I hear you

have a view local celebs with you, Sian? Morning. Forget Pop Idol.

Today we are talking Pup Idol. Here at this training Centre, West

Midlands Police are training gorgeous puppies like Pilgrim here

to be the specialist search dogs of the future. We are going to be

meeting more fairy fellows like this one and finding out which is top

dog. If you are not careful when you use

the hole in the war, you could end up with a big hole in your bank

account. In Britain, we took a staggering 194 billion pounds out of

cash machines last year. Now scam is leaving many out-of-pocket.

I had used the cash point many times and nothing like this had ever

happened, but easily I was there at the wrong time, wrong place. Charity

Case Lee from Saint is very careful when it comes to her hard earned

cash. In February this year, she decided to pop to her local ATM to

check her bank balance. I was just minding my own business. I went to

the cashpoint as I normally would. She was not planning to take any

money from her account, but somebody else was. I had noticed him. He was

wearing a dark blue Adidas top. While Charity was punching in

helping to get her balance, a man started loitering and looking over

her shoulders. Have you got any problems? It has taken my card. Her

card was completely stuck inside the machine and that is because crooks

had fitted the machine with a device known as the Lebanese Loop.

thought it had been taken by the bank. I did not realise this man had

put something in the machine. man was still looking over her

shoulder seemingly trying to help. He claimed he worked inside and

suggested she go with him to get it sorted. He walked me around the

back, pretending he was the cleaner and he had gone to the back door.

Obviously then somebody must have taken my card. The seemingly helpful

man just disappeared and a the world at Charity had to get to work.

believe an accomplice had taken her card from the machine with a device.

Then using her PIN number they have gone on to withdraw cash. The reason

it's called a Lebanese Loop is because of its high use by Lebanese

organised gang crimes in the country. The device is very similar

to this, a very small metal object. The loop attached to the back. They

will then place the device into the slot on the cash machine, pushing it

all the way in, so the only bit you will see is this very small metal

bit at the front. They will wait for a victim to come along to the

machine. I watch them enter the PIN number. When the victim walks away

from the machine, they remove the device from the front to bring the

card out. They will then go want to use the card, withdrawing cash and

going shopping with it. Sometimes they will wait near to the

cashpoint, very close to it. Other times they will stand off at a

distance, wait for someone to put their card in and then approach.

They will offer to help the victim. They took about �700 out of my

account. I went to see a neighbour who lives in the street and I was in

floods of tears. Now this has happened I do feel more aware of

people and not as trusting with people as I used to be.

PC Phil Upton who we saw in the film is with me now. You have brought

along a Lebanese Loop for us to see. A simple but effective device

this one? Yes, this goes on to the front of the machine, the customer

will place their card into the front of the machine and the device. The

device will retain the card so the card cannot be taken out of the

machine. I would stress to anybody who uses a cashpoint, if their card

becomes stuck, to immediately cancel the card and contact the police.

have some footage now operates as vicious incident to take a look at.

We are a cashpoint in Wolverhampton. Keep an eye on the man in the blue

tracksuit top. The elderly man at the cashpoint seems to be having

trouble with his card. So this helpful character steps in. As the

man does not seem to be hiding his PIN number, his help her seems to be

trying to find out what it is. Now the second person the police are

interested in appears on the scene, wearing distinctive white trainers.

I now, the elderly man seems to have decided that his card has been

swallowed by the machine. He walks off and the man in the blue top goes

with him to stop that leaves the coast clear and at this stage, the

accomplice appears to extract the Lebanese Loop from the cashpoint,

which would allow him to help himself to the man's card. Some

pretty clear images. You think this is linked to Charity's case was back

I am certain it is linked due to the description provided by Charity.

am certain. Give us a description. A description of the males is they are

Eastern European aged between 30 and 40. One has short black hair, slim

build, five foot 625 at eight, wearing a blue jacket. The other is

a similar description wearing smart, dark loathing. Tackling gang culture

is a top priority for Midlands police. Over the past two years they

have ploughed �1.5 million into doing it. Now they have a 30 strong

team on the case. We spent some time with them on a recent operation.

Police! In Birmingham, the trade in illegal

drugs has given rise to a game -- dangerous gang culture. These

officers are part of an operation to arrest suspected gang members

involved in the sale of cocaine. This is in connection with a 12

month enquiry into the importation of cocaine from Canada and the

distribution of drugs throughout the UK from a group of individuals known

as the Raiders Gang. The search uncovered a quantity of white

powder. It is tested straightaway. It is not cocaine but a filler

substance which can be used to cut the drugs for street sale. The

police raided a total of seven separate properties across the West

Woodlands on this single morning. This man was arrested and charged.

-- West midlands. A street caution was issued for cannabis possession

at another property and a third person was deported. There are

people out there who want to make a lot of money out of drugs and it

suits them to have a big group of people who will protect the drugs

business. That is achieved through a gang culture and that is something

we are committed to dismantling. 2011 West Woodlands police set up

the Gangs Task Force to tackle the dangerous rise in gun crime. What we

saw was a dramatic increase in their bid to own territory and fight

amongst themselves. They were shooting each other and murdering

each other. That was to protect their drugs empire because that was

the root of evil. The ownership of a firearm is one means of achieving

that criminal superiority. In the past year, the task force has made

250 arrest and brought many gang members to justice. They will be

targeting every day as long as they continue in their criminal ways.

We can find out more about the work of the Gangs Task Force in a few

minutes time. Before that, it is time for our first round of crooks

caught on camera. Keep your eyes peeled and see if you can find any

of this little lot. A busy day at Birmingham new Street

Station, November last year. Finding the right platform can be tricky for

most people, but even more so for blind passengers. This and is in

luck and he is helped by a good Samaritan who leads him all across

the station talking to him the whole time. He takes him down the stairs

and onto the correct platform. But this helper has other intentions. He

asked the blind man for some money. It is tricky to see but the victim

gets his wallet out and the man snatches the notes out of it and

walked off. He stole �200 from this vulnerable man. Look closely at him,

do you know who he is? It is a quiet Wednesday morning on

this central London bus. We are on the number 24 and this man, in a

distinctive jacket, is waiting for his stop. As he makes his way down

the aisle, he spots something. Before he heads downstairs, he has

second thoughts and doubles back. What has he seen? It is a bag

belonging to a sleeping passenger which he steals and takes off the

bus with him will stop brazen. Can you help police hatched this

rucksack rogue? Have police a call. -- give police a call. October 2012,

Faversham, Kent. This victim puts his garden dog away before letting a

three men who say they are police officers. He welcomes them into the

yard but they are here on false pretences. These guys are not police

at all and their uniforms are fake. But the man does not realise and

leads them into his house where the bogus policeman tried to arrest the

householder. But they eventually leave when he starts asking

questions. Members of his family were at home at the time and this

attempted kids that has affected them deeply. Do you know anything

about this incident? Give us a call if you can help.

You can call us on 08000 468999. Some mobile operators will charge

for the call. Or you can text on 63399. If you do not put the

spacing, the message will not get through. Pets will be charged at

your standard message rate. And you can e-mail us.

-- texts will be charged at your standard message rate.

I am joined by Detective Inspector Simon Wallis who you saw in the

earlier report. You lead the Gangs Task Force. We saw your offices

tackling drugs. You also tackle firearms. Three years ago we were

experiencing roughly a shooting every other day. We are at a stage

now where Birmingham has gone six months without a shooting that we

would attribute to the gangs. We are not complacent about that, the risk

of a threat is still there but we are pleased to see this town turn in

violence. Let's see what they are up against. when the riots in 20 oh 11

occurred, gangs came out in force -- 2011.

This was a man -- a mob of 40. Chaos going on. They gathered together to

shoot the police. The mob repeatedly fired at police officers and even

As a result, ten people got 200 years in prison between them.

That is about protecting the public and they are putting some seriously

dangerous individuals in a place where they cannot harm.

While the gang members were put behind bars, their guns ended up in

the West Midlands police armoury where they are kept as evidence or

destroyed. These weapons here have been seized

by us. This is a nine millimetre, three years ago, the type we were

seeing regularly on the streets of Birmingham. That has reduced

considerably now. As a real or imitation gun, in the hands of

someone who is wielding a drugs empire, this will yield him street

respect. Nobody will want to cross them with a weapon like this.

Thankfully, we have reduced the number of guns in circulation.

far this year, the number of gun crimes is down by 35%. But the task

force knows there is still a lot of work left to do.

Simon has brought a selection of guns. The firearms officers go

through an awful lot of specialised training.

First of all, they are all volunteers. We get 400 applications

every time. That little is its way down through a rigorous selection

process to 12 candidates who become fully trained firearms officers.

that job they have to make difficult decisions. Very difficult decisions

in a short space of time. We have some footage of two people carrying

replica firearms and armed officers are called in to deal with this.

unusual in some senses, the armed response vehicles attending. Two

lads reportedly with a gun, one brings a gun from his pocket. In

that split second, the police officer had to make a decision

whether to shoot or not. Fortunately they didn't. It turned out to be a

replica. On every occasion, it is a very serious offence. You take the

risk an officer will shoot. That is your message. It can be putting all

sorts of people 's lives in danger, including the public. Most

certainly, the public, the person with the gun, the police officer.

The police officer has a split second to identify the gun. There is

only one real gun here. I think I know what my job is, to have a look

at these. I am no expert. I have not got a clue. I will pick out that

gun, is that the real gun? It is not the real gun, no. A difficult

decision the officers have to make every day.

Now it's time to have a look at today's Wanted Faces.

First up today is 24-year-old Casey O'Hare. He was jailed for two years

and nine months for robbery, but released early on licence. He failed

to stick to those conditions, and is now wanted for a recall to prison.

As you can see, O'Hare has a number of tattoos on his face and neck. He

has a connection to the Irish travelling community, and also to

the Redbridge, Newham and Barking Next is this man, Charles Dhillon.

He served seven years in prison after raping a woman at gunpoint. On

release, he was added to the sex offenders register, but has failed

to notify police of his current whereabouts. Officers believe he's a

real threat to the public whilst he's at large. Dhillon is five foot

five inches tall, and believed to be Can you help police find this man?

42-year-old Neil Thygesen. He's wanted for questioning by the North

East Serious Organised Crime Unit in connection with a conspiracy to

import a large amount of cannabis into the UK. He's six foot one, and

speaks with a Teesside accent, and has a tattoo of a Celtic band on his

right arm. He has links across the Finally, today, we have Ali Ahmed,

although he also goes by the name Ahmed Ali. The 22-year-old is wanted

for questioning by officers in the West Midlands in connection with a

conspiracy to supply class A drugs. In 2010, he was a student in

Coventry, but it's not known where he is now, although he does have

connections to the London area. Ahmed is described as walking with

If you recognise any of these faces, make sure you pick up the phone. You

can call us on 08000 468999. Or you can text on 63399. Text CW,

space, and then your message. Of course, you can e-mail us too.

bookies on Grand National day. One mother 's mission to keep kids

The West Midlands Police Force has the biggest breeding and training

scheme for police dogs in the country. Around 80% will leave here

and end up being fully operational police dogs. Many will become search

specialists, helping the police to sniff out explosives, drugs and

weapons. The first step in their training is to place them with a

puppy walker who looks after them until they are assigned to a police

dog handler. I'm joined by Dave Hibbert and his pup Izzy who's a

Dutch herder. How old is Izzy? six months old. They are used

extensively in Europe and other forces in the UK which have them.

She is coming up to six months old and we are progressing her

development. You are a volunteer, not a police officer, how did you

get involved? This is one of the biggest breed schemes in the UK. In

2005, they had letters which needed puppy walkers and they put out an

appeal to the public. I spoke to Dave Raymond. Let us see what Izzy

can do at this stage in her Stand. Wait. Yes. Fantastic,

brilliant stuff. Basic obedience training. We start with normal

beings that a normal dog would do. Putting the foundations in and

progressing onto further things as she progresses and gets better.

have a picture of the first dog you had, Pace. Police dog Pace, retired

this year in September. The first dog we had. He has been

operational. Coming up to retirement this year. We have seen what Izzy

can do. Let us see what the next stage is. If Izzy has a rest and

reward. What is happening here. is what we do with Izzy as she gets

older. Developing the dog's bite. Helping them to be sociable.

Gradually developing the dog as time progresses. This dog is 12 months

old. This is the type of stuff we will do with Izzy in a few months.

We are teaching the dog to bark at the criminal. He is not allowed to

engage or bite unless there is a threat to the handler, it is

important the dog remains sociable. A big change from that initial puppy

walking to get into that stage. That is right. We try to make the dogs as

sociable as possible, it is not all about biting. They have a big job to

do. And they lived with their dog handler at home as part of the

Next, we need your help to find some bungling robbers who terrified the

staff of a Wolverhampton bookies on He was pointing that gun rights at

her and in close proximity. wrecked somebody's life for a few

nation had had its yearly flutter. The Coral bookies in Black heart

Lane in Wolverhampton was trying to get back to normal after the big

race. Sarah had arrived for her late shift, her first job was to balance

the books. We have changed her name to protect her identity. I was

behind the till, checking bets for tomorrow. But the drama of the horse

race was about to pale into insignificance and a more horrific

and then -- event unfold. All I heard was a bang. The locked

security door came crashing open. Two offenders burst into the shop

breaking the magnetic lock. They ran towards the glass counter at speed

and nearly fell over the chairs. the time I could press the security

buttons they were in the shop. They wanted money. Give us that money,

give us it now! The offenders had a balaclava, brandishing a firearm.

They demanded �20,000 in cash. They had a fire which was the most

serious aggravated factor in this crime. The cashier felt very

threatened. The second offender made customers and staff get into the

corner. The other one was separating them. He was shouting in my

colleague's face. But at the wall. Panicking and terrified, Sarah

desperately looked for cash to handover. He was jabbing that gun in

my face, I didn't want to risk anything. I didn't want to frustrate

him any more than he was. Give us the money. She gave him the only

money she had to hand, around �300 rolled up in bundles. I was

petrified. I was thinking, is he going to shoot if I don't give him

what he wants. If he thinks I have more money and I'm not going to give

it to him. All that was going through my head

was my little boy. And my boyfriend. I knew I had to comply with them.

I didn't want them by me, I didn't know what they were capable of

doing, I wanted them to go. The bungling thief did not have the

cash for long. As soon as it was in his pocket, it was out again.

I did notice that when he was trying to grab the money, he was very

clumsy, fingers and thumbs. As the money was being passed

over-the-counter, he put it in his pockets. Clearly, you can see on the

CCTV on two occasions he drops money, notes and coins, on the

floor. His accomplice helps in the first time, but they leave a certain

amount of the money when they make their escape. The attack lasted only

a minute and the bungling robbers got away with just over �300. The

impact on Sarah has been long-lasting.

I have had to go to counselling to try to get back into work. I think

they are scum, they do not understand what they are doing. They

don't understand how they have affected my life.

She has been extremely traumatised by this incident. I know she has had

flashbacks, and I know it has had a major impact on her life since this

incident. I still do not know who they are.

I think, if I knew who they were and if they were caught, I would feel a

lot better than I am. The fact of not knowing, that is the scariest

part. I'm joined by Detective Constable

Emily Sparkes. This was a nasty robbery, wasn't it? You're hoping

that the fact that it took place on Grand National day will spark some

memories amongst viewers? Absolutely. It is the time at the

bookmakers which sticks in your mind. If anybody was in the area in

Wolverhampton at the time, I want to know. The CCTV footage of them in

the bookies, it is not that clear on their faces but gives a good

impression of what they were wearing. What can you tell about

it? We have the top here, this is the exact top the second offender

was wearing. He was quite stocky. Chubbier than the first offender. He

was wearing light grey buttons like this top here. That is the identical

top he was wearing. Also, this gun we have brought along here today,

what did the victim tell us about this style of gun? She said it was

like a cowboy, Western-style toy gun. This is a replica gun. However,

she described it as looking heavy, the metal was shiny. It really is

heavy as well. How is the victor in now? You have been in touch with

her. I saw her this week. She has been very traumatised by this

incident. She has had to have counselling. She has only recently

gone back to work. Yes, a major impact on her life. If you do know

anything about this case, get in touch on the usual numbers.

Would you be able to spot a fake note if you were handed one? Last

year, the number of counterfeit Bank of England bank notes taken out of

circulation was around 719,000, with a face value of �13.1 million.

That's a lot of dodgy cash. Here to tell is more is DI Jason Redrup from

South Wales Police. Good morning. That is a massive

amount of money and you have issued a warning to the people where you

were about counterfeit currency. Yes, a warning to shopkeepers and

members of the public as we discovered an increase in �20 and

stop yes, they use a bigger note to purchase something very small value.

That way they get a significant amount of change in genuine money.

And the poor shopkeeper is left with a worthless note. You have brought

in a couple here. This is a dodgy note. It does not look too bad but

there are some tips you can give me on how to spot a fake note. You can

start with the feel of the paper. does feel very different. This one

feels like a better quality paper than the fake one. What else should

I look for? On a genuine note, the words Bank of England will be

slightly raised. It is very subtle but it is definitely raised,

compared to this one which is completely flat. That is good to

look out for. Anything else? If you hold a genuine note up to the light,

you will see the watermark of the Queen's head is in the watermark.

That is very clear on the genuine one. The counterfeit one has nothing

in this area at all. That is really clear. Anything else? Yes, also the

silver thread which runs through a genuine note will be present.

see that. I am not sure how clear that is at home. There is the line

there which runs all the way down. It is solid. On the counterfeit note

it is not the case at all. I see these in the shop all the time, I

hand over some money and they put it under this ultraviolet light.

are they looking for? A genuine note will show a green and red light.

That is really clear. If I put the counterfeit one under, absolutely

nothing. I guess you should not be offended if someone is checking it.

If they give you a note and you are not happy with it, you are within

your rights to say you do not want that one. Yes, ensure you are

vigilant when you get your change. There is a lot more information

about how to spot a fake note on the Bank of England's website. For now,

we can go back to Sian in Birmingham.

Yes, earlier we saw how police are tackling gang culture in the West

Midlands. After the tragic loss of her daughter in a gangland shootout,

one mum here in Birmingham has made it her mission to keep youngsters

out of trouble. Ten years ago, in the early hours of

the 2nd of January, four innocent teenagers were shot in a gangland

shootout in Birmingham. Two of the girls, Charlene Ellis and Letisha

Shakespeare were killed in the crossfire. What happened to Letisha

is something I have to live with for the rest of my life. I know for a

fact, by educating young people all it can stop people being involved

and more importantly, not for another mother or a family to go

through what I have gone through. have come to talk to Marcia about

her campaign to keep young people from getting involved in gangs.

here today to share a fraction of my experience of being an innocent

victim to a violent crime. Today, she is talking to pupils at her

daughter's former school in Aston. She had two gunshot wounds here,

another one here and a fatal gunshot wound which went straight in her

heart, outside of her back and into the brick wall. It is when you will

get a young person who will come to you at the end of a presentation and

will say, I am sorry for your loss, and what you have said to me has

made me think twice. It is about giving these messages and trying to

enable people to live a better life without making these wrong choices.

A lot of young people here might be aware of gangs and they might think

being in a gang is cool, I am safe, I am protected. But I can assure

you, being in a gang will lead to three major things. One, you end up

killing someone. Two, you end up being killed, or three, you end up

being put away for a very, very long time. Thank you very much for

listening to me today. For Marcia, it is all about getting

the message out there to as many kids as possible. Since the campaign

began, she has spoken to 40,000 young people across the West

Midlands alone. I felt affected quite a lot when she spoke to me. I

have seen another person get shot on my street. The gang is the only

means for them to have a sense of support or a sense of belonging

because they may not have support at home. I do not want my life to end

up in some kind of turmoil or Somerdale 's's life just as they

made the young choice. The young people will hear today responded

well to you. What did you make about what they said today? It is about

saving a life to me. If I can save a life, my job is done. It is a very

powerful presentation that one. I am joined by Marcia Shakespeare now.

You spoke to 45,000 kids and we got a flavour of how they respond to

you. What about the perpetrators of gun crime because you spoke to them

as well? Yes, I have spoken to some perpetrators of gang crime. One boy

I spoke to, when he heard the story of what happens, he was hugging me

as well as crying. He was quite sad and what had happened. From speaking

to him, he said he wants to do a lot more to help a lot of young people

who are involved in gangs to try and turn them out of gangs. And you have

been over to America as well, learning about what is happening

over there. What did you make of that? When I went to New York to do

research with West Midlands Police around violent crime and gang crime,

we spoke to a lot of people in the Bronx, Brooklyn, who gave us

information about how they were tackling violent crime, colours,

codes, information, how to tackle the wall of silence, joint

enterprise, so it was very useful and productive. Also, I met one

officer who was working in schools, delivering presentations around

violent crime for young people. Like you are doing now? Yes.

Rav, back to you. The cameras have clocked them, can you catch them?

Time for another batch of unsuspecting crooks caught on

camera. Leicester, January this year. The

man in the hat is in this bank for some cash. It is not his money he is

after, it is someone else's. The card he was using was stolen earlier

in the day along with a driving licence. The disguised man manages

to withdraw �2000 on the card. He used the licence as proof of IDE. Do

you recognise the face under the hat. Give us a call if you do.

This man looks as if he is off on a trip somewhere. It must be a long

journey. He is not just filling up his car, he is getting extra in the

fuel cans. Once he has loaded up -- finished copy loads everything up

his car and drives off without attempting to pay. Do you know this

fuel thief? Give us a call. King's Cross station on New Year's

Eve. This man is about to ruin the start someone's year. What is he up

to? He looks like he's having a great time dancing along the

platform but he is up for no good. He takes his chance and hops onto a

train. He is not looking for a seat. It is the luggage he is interested

in. After a thorough search, he finds a purse and jumps off the

train with it. Police say he did this four more times and he is

wanted for eight thefts in total including this one where he steals

someone else's suitcase. Do you know this great train robber? Give us a

call if you do. Call us on the usual numbers or

e-mail us on the address on screen. If you do not want to give your name

and number, you can call Crimestoppers.

Sian, you look serious. Welcome to Pup Idol. I do not think

it will be that serious. We will have some fantastic informants is

for you this morning. My panellists Dave Hibbert and Dave Raymond, the

manager here. And the contestants are here. Tell us about them.

can see Away system running out now. She is retrieving a toy -- oasis.

She has the drive to run out and play with the toy. The next one is

Olivia. Kerry will put the toy down on the grass to encourage a basic

search. All the dogs are with puppy walkers at the moment. The dog has

picked the toy out. It is a game for them, isn't it? It is a big game.

This oak has a great search drive. Terry is hiding this in the bushes

now. -- this oak has a great search drive. Terry will run him out now.

Off he goes, really fast, plenty of energy and very eager as well.

worked it out, he pinpointed it and he picked it out. It is all about

possession. These dogs, their noses are so good. A search which would

take human a couple of hours would take the dog is a couple of

minutes. They find things hidden in Axa freezers which officers could

miss. The dogs are with their puppy walkers. Let's see if they are going

to sit down and who will be obedient. Who is catching your eye

at the moment? We think the third one has shown a lot of potential. He

is probably the dog who has a little bit more at this stage. What about

you? You are the expert? They are all very good. I would go with that

one as well. He has a good search instinct. Very focused again.

can change. He is leading the pack, Rab.

Thanks, Sian. We have time to give you a quick update. We have some

information about the men believed to have used Lebanese loops on the

cash machine. And one of our faces, number 54, Charles Dillon, police

are chasing up a lead on him as we speak. Let's find out what Sian will

be up to tomorrow. Where are you going?

Unfortunately, I will have to say goodbye to these little fellows. We

are off to Warwickshire tomorrow. We are looking for thugs who left their

victim very seriously injured. And also we are down by the canal

finding out how the police make sure it is crime free on their mountain

bikes. That is about it for today. You can