0:00:03 > 0:00:06According to police figures more than 3,500
0:00:06 > 0:00:10theft incidents are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12They stole part of my life.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But have you ever wondered what happens to our belongings
0:00:15 > 0:00:17when they're stolen?
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Thief Trackers tells the story of where they go.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22SIREN BLARES
0:00:22 > 0:00:25We're hiding satellite tracking devices inside a range of
0:00:25 > 0:00:30desirable every day items like cameras, smartphones and bicycles
0:00:30 > 0:00:32to trace the looters' footsteps.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36The thieves think they've got away with it but we're tracking
0:00:36 > 0:00:37their every move.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41With secret filming, CCTV and police raid footage...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Police officers with a search warrant - open the door.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47..we'll get an insight into the criminal mindset and uncover the
0:00:47 > 0:00:50unseen journeys that our treasured possessions take when they're stolen
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Today, we're on the trail of a gang of brazen bike thieves.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04They have no idea we're tracing their steps with a GPS tracker.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08It's in broad daylight, he doesn't care who's watching him.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09It's quite shocking.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Plus, police put a stop to international car smuggling
0:01:12 > 0:01:13down at the dockside.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16That isn't what I would expect to see from Land Rover,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18so that suggests to me this could well be a stolen vehicle.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22And one woman mounts her own covert surveillance operation to
0:01:22 > 0:01:23track down a crafty burglar!
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Cycling is on the increase in Britain,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41with more and more of us taking to two wheels.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46We pedalled a massive 3.25 billion miles in 2014!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Perhaps it's no surprise that a significant number of the
0:01:51 > 0:01:55country's bicycle thefts, almost 20%, occur in London.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02We want to find out where these stolen bikes go and former
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Metropolitan Police inspector Keith Farquharson is helping us.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10We chose to run our scenario in the south-west London borough
0:02:10 > 0:02:14of Wandsworth, one of the top three boroughs in London for cycle crime.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18This borough recorded almost 1,400 cycle thefts in 2014.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Since only 5% of victims ever see their bicycles again,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26the chances of recovering them are extremely slim...
0:02:28 > 0:02:32..unless the bicycle has been fitted with a GPS tracker like this.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34So this is a tracking device,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and that means that the device is able to figure out its location.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42It does that by using the global positioning system
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and the core of that technology is the ability of this device to
0:02:46 > 0:02:50measure the range from this device to orbiting satellites.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Once you've got those numbers you can plot the position of this
0:02:53 > 0:02:55device on a map.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59We're hiding our tracker inside the saddle. It'll still give out
0:02:59 > 0:03:03a strong signal, even with someone sat on it!
0:03:03 > 0:03:04With the tracker fitted,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07the team head to a quiet spot in the target area.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10They chain up the bike with a heavy-duty lock.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And from the data we can see the tracker is live.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The team move our vehicles to a discreet vantage point.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23They've hidden three cameras to catch the action.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Now, we don't want to confront any thieves,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30we just want to see where property goes once it's stolen.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32All we can do now is sit back and observe.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41It's been a while and there hasn't been any interest to speak of.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43He's having a quick look.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Hello! He wants an even closer look!
0:03:48 > 0:03:50No, it seems his mate's talked him out of it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53A little later...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59..look closely at these three lads cycling past.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04They've spotted our bike and are checking it out.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18They cycle off but it's not long before they're back, with this
0:04:18 > 0:04:22guy on the Boris bike. It appears they're sussing out the area.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27One lad has dismounted to take a closer look.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It seems they're discussing their next move.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49We've chosen a sturdy lock so they'll have to show real
0:04:49 > 0:04:52criminal intent to prise the bike from the railings.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55This guy has other plans
0:04:59 > 0:05:02But his accomplice doesn't want to be hasty,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05seems he wants the whole bike.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Look, if you go like this, look I'm sharing my opinion,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09if you go like this, stamp on it...
0:05:14 > 0:05:16They're testing the strength of the lock.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21But there are still too many people around to try and steal it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Charming! Shall we add litter lout to his list of misdemeanours?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Quite by chance the nearby vehicles leave,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34so this could be their moment to strike.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43There they go!
0:05:43 > 0:05:45They unscrew the wheel nuts
0:05:45 > 0:05:47while the other two gang members keep lookout.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53In the blink of an eye, one wheel is off...
0:05:58 > 0:05:59..and there goes the other.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Then the thieves take off, leaving the wheel-less frame dangling
0:06:05 > 0:06:07from the railings.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20As a bike frame can be worth hundreds of pounds,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24considerably more than the wheels, we decided to sit tight in case
0:06:24 > 0:06:26the bike-jackers returned.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Plus, our tracker is still inside the saddle.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33It's interesting that since it's lost its wheels,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36the bike frame seems to be attracting more attention.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41A little while later and one of the thieves is back again.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It seems he's brought someone else with him this time.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Maybe they've come for the rest of the bike?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50He's not leaving without that frame!
0:06:52 > 0:06:54There you go, two tugs and it's off.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's in broad daylight, he doesn't care who's watching him.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03It's quite shocking.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The thieves apparently have all of our bike.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So we can now let the tracker do its job.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16We can see from the signal that the thieves don't go far, heading
0:07:16 > 0:07:22off around the corner, just a few streets away. Keith is on the case.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25The tracking data showed that the frame went to a property
0:07:25 > 0:07:28in the Wandsworth area where it stayed for approximately two days.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The signal shows that the bike stayed in that neighbourhood,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34moving around a very small area.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Either he's taken the frame around door to door to try to sell
0:07:37 > 0:07:39it or he's rebuilt the bike
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and is using it within that area. My hunch is that it's the latter.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48It's very likely the bicycle has been reunited with its wheels.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Within days it's on its way to a new location.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Then it travels to Vauxhall, possibly transferred to
0:07:55 > 0:07:58a handler for onward sale.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00A handler is also known as a fence. They would take
0:08:00 > 0:08:04the item from the thief and either sell it to an innocent
0:08:04 > 0:08:09unsuspecting member of the public or pass it along the criminal chain.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It doesn't stay here for long though.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The bike now travels south from Vauxhall to the Streatham area,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18where it stays for quite some time.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's likely it has now been sold to an innocent
0:08:21 > 0:08:24member of the public. The tracking data shows it commuting back
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and forth from Lucien Road to an address in south-west London.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The GPS data gives an approximate location
0:08:33 > 0:08:36but won't pinpoint a single address.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39We wrote to several properties in the vicinity of the signal to
0:08:39 > 0:08:41try and alert them to the history of the bike.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Clearly no-one is interested in talking to us,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48as we've heard nothing from those addresses.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51So what can cyclists do to prevent their bikes from disappearing
0:08:51 > 0:08:53onto the black market?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Take care when leaving your bike unattended, always use good
0:08:56 > 0:08:59quality locks and feed them through the wheels and the frame.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Try and leave the bikes in a CCTV covered area
0:09:02 > 0:09:05because this will put thieves off committing a crime.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Cyclists can also register their bike with the national
0:09:08 > 0:09:12police-approved bicycle database, to give bikes a unique reference
0:09:12 > 0:09:15number that can be traced by the police.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18We know where our stolen bike has ended up
0:09:18 > 0:09:19and we've also filmed at least
0:09:19 > 0:09:23five devious bike thieves in the Wandsworth area.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25If the authorities want to take a closer
0:09:25 > 0:09:29look at our surveillance footage, they are more than welcome.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39While tracking technology plays its part in the fight against crime,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42there's nothing like good old-fashioned detective work.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Especially when it comes to stopping the criminal
0:09:45 > 0:09:47export of stolen cars from our docks.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Based at the Port of Southampton,
0:09:50 > 0:09:51DC Nathan Ricketts of the
0:09:51 > 0:09:56National Vehicle Crime Investigation Service is on the frontline.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59He starts each day with a check on shipping manifests.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02How legitimate are the contents of each of these
0:10:02 > 0:10:04thousands of export containers?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09There's thousands of containers that go out of the country so the easy
0:10:09 > 0:10:12ones are the ones that are manifested as vehicles. Obviously
0:10:12 > 0:10:15that gives us a straight in, but the harder ones are probably the ones
0:10:15 > 0:10:18that are manifested as other things like machinery, household goods
0:10:18 > 0:10:22but contain vehicles, so they are hiding obviously their content.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25The East African coast take an awful lot of the UK's stolen vehicles
0:10:25 > 0:10:29so we concentrate on the ports of Tanzania, Mombasa and Boma which
0:10:29 > 0:10:32will then feed into other countries like Uganda and places like that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So where they were loaded in the United Kingdom is a real
0:10:35 > 0:10:36important thing for us.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39You know, certain areas have a real vehicle theft problem so if
0:10:39 > 0:10:42they have been loaded near to those areas it gives us a little bit more
0:10:42 > 0:10:44insight, maybe we need to be looking
0:10:44 > 0:10:46at that box and seeing what's inside.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Some of the information on the manifests gives away more
0:10:49 > 0:10:51than the exporters might think.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Obviously the ones that aren't declared as vehicles,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55declared as household and personal effects,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58you would expect the contents of somebody's house to weigh
0:10:58 > 0:11:00well over 12 tonnes in weight.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03This morning Nathan has been in top gear
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and found several containers that he wants to take a close look at.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10This container here, it was loaded in Coventry.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Around the West Midlands we do have a vehicle theft problem
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and it's listed as household effects going to Tanzania.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26The first container appears to be full of used refrigerators,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28a common export to Africa.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Probably going to be OK. We can have these sort
0:11:31 > 0:11:34of containers scanned just so if they do contain vehicles which
0:11:34 > 0:11:35does assist us.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I'm quite happy that this container is all right and it is
0:11:40 > 0:11:43what it says it is. We now re-seal them with a unique seal and tell
0:11:43 > 0:11:46the shipping line what that seal is so that when the shipper gets
0:11:46 > 0:11:50it in Africa he knows the seal that he should expect to see on there.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56The fridges are cool, but what about the next container?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Well, it's very hot indeed!
0:12:00 > 0:12:01The main thing for me at the moment,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I can see that there is no straps holding the wheels down so if
0:12:04 > 0:12:08this was my £70,000 Range Rover, why are you shipping it
0:12:08 > 0:12:12in a container that lifts and goes on the back of a lorry and moves?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It'll go onto a vessel which moves. If this was to shift into the side
0:12:15 > 0:12:19the container, it would do quite a bit of damage to that vehicle.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21As pictures of Nathan's previous catches show,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25the criminals have little concern for the condition that stolen
0:12:25 > 0:12:29cars will be in, once they arrive at their destinations.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Nathan begins his checks
0:12:30 > 0:12:34and quickly finds clues that the car has had its true identity hidden.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39That isn't what I would expect to see from Land Rover.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41That isn't one of their visible VIN numbers
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so that suggests to me that it could well be a stolen vehicle.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The VIN number or Vehicle Identification Number is
0:12:47 > 0:12:49a unique code found on every vehicle.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51To hide the origins of this one,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55the criminals have tried to replace its original VIN with a false one.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Easier said than done.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00From a physical point it can't just be removed. To change
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the VIN number you have to put a lot of effort into painting it,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05grind it off and put a new one in so these areas always usually
0:13:05 > 0:13:07put somewhere very difficult.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09As you can see it's between the engine and the suspension here
0:13:09 > 0:13:12so it's quite difficult to get tools and equipment in there, ie
0:13:12 > 0:13:14to deter the criminal from changing it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16The VIN number that's stamped on the suspension strut there is not
0:13:16 > 0:13:19what I would expect to see from a Land Rover.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20That one is of good quality, it is good, but
0:13:20 > 0:13:23it isn't quite what I'd expect to see so it is pointing towards,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26it is a stolen vehicle and it's had its identity altered.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Nathan searches for clues in the hope of finding the vehicle's
0:13:31 > 0:13:33true owner.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Panels have been removed in the boot,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39suggesting that thieves may have been looking for GPS trackers.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42OK, that's exactly what I would expect to see,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45someone's had the wheel out, not stowed it correctly
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and this panel has been pulled off here so...
0:13:48 > 0:13:50And the jack's out as well
0:13:50 > 0:13:53so expecting to see that, someone's had a good look round.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Presumably hoping to find a tracking device and to remove it.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Nathan has already found two of the car's VIN numbers have been
0:14:01 > 0:14:03altered... but there is one more to check.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07That's where I'd expect to see the VIN sticker,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10but as you can see it's peeling off. It should match these
0:14:10 > 0:14:12stickers and look this quality and be stuck firm.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15You shouldn't be able to pick them and peel them off so that looks
0:14:15 > 0:14:18quite papery to me, it's definitely fake,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20definitely not as it should be.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The criminals who stole this car have worked hard to hide
0:14:24 > 0:14:25where it came from.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27But they've made a school boy error.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I've just opened the glove box
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and you would expect to see the Land Rover user manual and things
0:14:33 > 0:14:36like that but handily there's an online service warranty book
0:14:36 > 0:14:40which has it's true VIN number and identity which differs to this one.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I'm just going to do a check on the police national computer on that
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and see what that comes back as.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47For the consumers watching this there is some simple
0:14:47 > 0:14:50things you can do, crook locks. They're really unattractive
0:14:50 > 0:14:52but if you're a criminal looking at a car to steal,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55if it's got a crook lock, they'll go down to the one down the road
0:14:55 > 0:14:58that hasn't and if everyone does that, they'll protect their product.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- Brilliant, thanks very much. - A quick call to the
0:15:00 > 0:15:04National Police Database confirms Nathan's suspicions.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Um, yes it is stolen, it was stolen on the
0:15:06 > 0:15:0922nd of February 2015 from London.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It's not just a case of vehicle theft,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16vehicle export, it's also trying to fool us. They're hoping that we
0:15:16 > 0:15:19don't know enough about vehicles that they can get it through.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So they're going to extra steps to try
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and beat the system. On this occasion it hasn't worked.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We're going to shut the container and send the container to
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Africa because that's what the criminals have paid for.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's a really good hit for us and a good result
0:15:32 > 0:15:34and one of many more, I hope.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37This car has since undergone forensic examination, to find
0:15:37 > 0:15:41clues that will lead Nathan to the criminals who stole it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The car will soon be returned to its rightful owner in London,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48while an empty box will arrive in Africa.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Officers like Nathan do their best to prevent stolen vehicles
0:15:59 > 0:16:00leaving our docks
0:16:00 > 0:16:04but GPS tracking technology has often stopped vehicles
0:16:04 > 0:16:06getting that far.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09For instance, plant machinery, an estimated
0:16:09 > 0:16:12£70 million worth, is stolen from our roads each year.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20So when a telescopic handler went missing from the High Wycombe
0:16:20 > 0:16:23area, one weekend in November 2012,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27its owners were quick to respond and contacted their tracking company.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32We were first made aware of the theft of this
0:16:32 > 0:16:35telehandler, I think it was around about 7:30 in the morning.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38A customer phoned us and told us that it was no longer on site.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43So the first thing we do is switch the tracker into a live mode
0:16:43 > 0:16:45which will wake it up and keep it awake
0:16:45 > 0:16:47until we've actually done the recovery.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Once switched on, the tracking device pings a signal that
0:16:51 > 0:16:53reveals an approximate location.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57The telehandler had been, at the weekend, in the High Wycombe
0:16:57 > 0:17:01area and when it woke up after we sent it the keep-awake message
0:17:01 > 0:17:04it was in the Slough area.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Already 30 miles down the road,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09the stolen telehandler wasn't sticking around.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12The tracking team acted fast to pick up its trail.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18We noticed that the tracker was showing that the vehicle was
0:17:18 > 0:17:22possibly moving around the M25 so we instructed our agent to
0:17:22 > 0:17:25actually go on the M25 and try and find it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28The particular telehandler
0:17:28 > 0:17:31that was stolen on this occasion was a fairly new one and I believe the
0:17:31 > 0:17:35capital cost of it was in the region of £35,000.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40That's £35,000, and for a vehicle that only goes 15mph.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It was clear that the thieves had loaded this valuable asset
0:17:43 > 0:17:45onto a lorry.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The tracker signal showed the telehandler was heading east, so if
0:17:52 > 0:17:57it was on the back of an open lorry it should have been easy to spot.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Police joined the search,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01posting look-outs from bridges over the motorway.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05We were a bit concerned that the police kept coming
0:18:05 > 0:18:07back and saying that they couldn't spot it at all
0:18:07 > 0:18:10so the conclusion was that we thought it must be
0:18:10 > 0:18:15inside a lorry of some description, probably a curtain-sider.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19To identify which truck was hiding the telehandler,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23the team used another element of the tracker's technology.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26They picked up its radio frequency signal with a tracking wand.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32This is an example of one of our wands that we use.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35So we turn on a radio beacon which gives us
0:18:35 > 0:18:39a method of pointing exactly in the direction that the unit is.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Listening to the ping of the beacon and then you're able to
0:18:42 > 0:18:44actually narrow down exactly where the unit is.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Even though the trackers were closing in on the stolen
0:18:49 > 0:18:53telehandler, they had no idea where the thieves were taking it.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It was apparent that the device was
0:18:56 > 0:19:00moving around the M25 and then it turned off and down the M20
0:19:00 > 0:19:03so we assumed at this time it was possibly heading for Dover.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05With the truck heading towards the port,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08time really wasn't on their side.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10They had to deduce which lorry was carrying the machine,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13before it left the country for good.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16As the recovery agent was proceeding down the M20
0:19:16 > 0:19:23in chasing the lorry, he eventually started to pick up a faint signal.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26The motorway was awash with lorries en route to the docks
0:19:26 > 0:19:29and it could have been any one of them.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32As he got closer to the lorry the signal increased
0:19:32 > 0:19:35so by actually going past the lorry and then dropping back he was
0:19:35 > 0:19:40able to identify which lorry had the stolen piece of equipment in it.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46A fantastic result. Amidst all that traffic, he's got his man!
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Now it was just a question of keeping the lorry in his sights.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52He noticed it was a Polish registered vehicle
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and at that point we asked the Kent police to be at the docks
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and try and stop it before it boarded the ferry.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00The trackers followed the lorry all the way to Dover,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03where Kent police lay in wait.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06They intercepted the thieves before they were able to board the ferry to
0:20:06 > 0:20:10the continent and the tracking team recovered the stolen telehandler.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14If the telehandler hadn't had a tracking device
0:20:14 > 0:20:18on it, it would have gone forever. It would never have been recovered.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22The feeling everybody gets at the end of a successful recovery is,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24you know, everybody's very pleased including the customer, and
0:20:24 > 0:20:28ourselves that our tracking device has worked well again.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So that's another victory for the trackers in the fight
0:20:31 > 0:20:32against crime. Happy days!
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The most stolen items in the UK today are smartphones,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44around 300,000 each year.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Even so, many enterprising consumers have used security apps to
0:20:48 > 0:20:50track down their stolen telephones.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It's getting easier, for example, to disable your phone
0:20:53 > 0:20:56if it's lost or stolen and obviously it's harder for thieves to
0:20:56 > 0:20:59then make use of your phone fraudulently
0:20:59 > 0:21:00or to sell the handset on.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04What's more, it's now possible to use older discarded phones
0:21:04 > 0:21:09as tools for home security - a means of bringing criminals to justice.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Take a look at this footage, filmed in Arizona.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27That American lady Mia is talking about a police raid in her
0:21:27 > 0:21:31own house, which she recorded on her phone by remote control,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33while she was at work!
0:21:33 > 0:21:36But this isn't just about a police raid on a house in America.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This security app was designed in the UK
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and has been used successfully here too.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48There was one burglary here where the culprit was known to the police
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and the owner of the property was disappointed with the conventional
0:21:52 > 0:21:57CCTV system that was installed outside the building. It was known
0:21:57 > 0:22:00to the burglar that it was there so he was obscuring his face with
0:22:00 > 0:22:04a hoodie when entering the building and so the footage was useless.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The thief hadn't reckoned on one of the residents turning
0:22:07 > 0:22:10a disused phone into a CCTV camera.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12That's what caught him in the act!
0:22:13 > 0:22:16He had taken off his disguise and was caught in full
0:22:16 > 0:22:21view of the camera. The police were alerted, he had fled by then,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24but they recognised the individual who was walking around the
0:22:24 > 0:22:28property and also for scenes of crimes officers they were able
0:22:28 > 0:22:33to see what objects he had touched so with very little effort they
0:22:33 > 0:22:38were able to work out where to focus their fingerprinting work and get an
0:22:38 > 0:22:42ID on the person and, in fact, he was arrested later that afternoon.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Pretty good work, for a free app and a recycled phone!
0:22:46 > 0:22:49In the last year, it's been estimated that there are
0:22:49 > 0:22:53£2.7 billion worth of unused mobile phones in the UK alone.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57James' security app finds a use for old phones that might
0:22:57 > 0:23:00otherwise end up in the recycling.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04What used to involve an alarm company coming in,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08charging you an annual fee, setting up a system that you would
0:23:08 > 0:23:13more often set off by accident than for reasons of a genuine
0:23:13 > 0:23:17break-in, is now becoming very easy for anybody to do.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19So when is a phone not a phone?
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Well, when you place it in a convenient position in your home
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and something moves in front of the camera, you can
0:23:26 > 0:23:29set the phone to alert you by an email or text message.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It also allows you to stream live pictures or record them.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Around 20% of the apps users are based in Britain,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39with the remainder in America.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Mia Nguyen decided to use it to keep an eye on her dogs
0:23:42 > 0:23:45while she was at work. Little did she know that it would alert
0:23:45 > 0:23:47her to the presence of a thief!
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Stunned at the violation of her home, Mia alerted the police
0:24:15 > 0:24:19who arrived in time to stop the intruder causing too much damage.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Do you have any idea what the burglar was trying to steal?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Had it not been for the phone app, Mia would not have been
0:24:39 > 0:24:42alerted and the thief would not have been stopped in his tracks!
0:24:42 > 0:24:45We've heard other stories since then of people using the app
0:24:45 > 0:24:46and catching burglars
0:24:46 > 0:24:50when they were actually just trying to look at their pets.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52So yeah, we got a great thrill out of it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56In both cases, the American drugs thief and the English burglar,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58the videos formed material evidence
0:24:58 > 0:25:02and the crooks were given short prison sentences.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03That'll teach 'em!
0:25:07 > 0:25:12From 157 days of filming and more than 250 hours of footage,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Thief Trackers has investigated the problem of the petty thief.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Using a combination of tracking technology
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and dogged detective work... DOG BARKS
0:25:21 > 0:25:24we've tracked the thieves down to their own backyards.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30We've seen crooks working as a team, like these two women...
0:25:32 > 0:25:35..stalking their prey... waiting to strike.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And when their victim was distracted...
0:25:39 > 0:25:41they pounced.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45In a second the handbag was gone.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Our cameras apparently captured the same bag-snatcher on two
0:25:50 > 0:25:54occasions, a year apart, still thieving in the same street.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Distraction thieves work in pairs, as in this incident
0:25:59 > 0:26:01involving our laptop.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04One distracts the victim and the brazen
0:26:04 > 0:26:08accomplice steps in so our laptop disappears into the night!
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It's a classic piece of deception theft. The victim's
0:26:12 > 0:26:16attention has been distracted and he's just gone for it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19We've got a multi-storey car park here just over my right
0:26:19 > 0:26:21shoulder, he may have gone in there, looked at the laptop
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and maybe secreted it to come back a short time later.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Among many extraordinary incidents of theft, our cameras
0:26:28 > 0:26:30captured this shocker.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34People stealing from donated items left outside a charity shop.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Treating it like a help yourself buffet.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40No, it's morally reprehensible. It's the same as taking
0:26:40 > 0:26:43a charity collection box.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46We've seen how easy it is to lose our valuables to opportunist
0:26:46 > 0:26:49thieves if we're not vigilant.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Our tablet computer caught the eye of this passing snatch thief...
0:26:53 > 0:26:57who snuck in and pinched it while the owner was briefly distracted.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Within an hour of the original theft the data showed that the
0:27:01 > 0:27:04tablet was in an electrical shop which was less than half
0:27:04 > 0:27:07a mile from the original site of the theft.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Our smartphone suffered a similar fate, when a thief whisked it away.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19And this bag snatcher was caught on CCTV and on our cameras too,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21as he helped himself to a designer handbag.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's really, really, really disgusting.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30With the help of amazing tracking technology,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33we've been side-by-side with trackers and the police as
0:27:33 > 0:27:38they've hunted down and successfully recovered stolen property.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Tracing pilfered goods to Essex...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43uncovering a caravan in Cheltenham...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and tracking a hi-jacked motorbike all the way to Lithuania.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51With all this impressive footage, perhaps the authorities
0:27:51 > 0:27:54would like to take a closer look at what we've uncovered
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and rid the streets of these sticky-fingered law breakers!