0:00:02 > 0:00:03Bag snatchers, robbers
0:00:03 > 0:00:04and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06According to the latest police figures,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08more than 3,500 incidents
0:00:08 > 0:00:10of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13It's gone!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I don't want to lose this guy.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:24 > 0:00:30Hidden trackers inside items, like cameras, smartphones and bicycles,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32to trace their every move.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35The thieves think they've got away with it,
0:00:35 > 0:00:36but we've got them
0:00:36 > 0:00:37under surveillance.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47we'll get an insight into the criminal mind.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And uncover the unseen journey that our possessions take
0:00:52 > 0:00:53when they're stolen.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Today on Thief Trackers, we look back at some
0:01:03 > 0:01:05of the most shocking moments from the series,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09showing just how thieves target your possessions,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12stealing them if you take your eyes off them for a moment.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15But we tracked the thieves down and confronted them.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Plus, investigators are on the hunt for a missing tractor,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25stolen from a football club.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26It was a bit of a shock.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28The tractor was gone.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38From 157 days of filming, and more than 250 hours of footage,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Thief Trackers has investigated the problem of personal theft.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48We've seen tracking technology and dogged detective work.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I wonder if I could talk to you for a second?
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- We've tracked down the thieves... - Go, go, go.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54..to their own back-yards.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Helping the Thief Trackers with their investigations
0:02:00 > 0:02:04was our specialist crime adviser Alex Stewart.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09both on patrol and as an undercover officer in his time
0:02:09 > 0:02:13on the force with the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Thieves steal from the rich, but they also steal from the poor,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19meaning any of us can be targets.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22They're waiting and watching to take whatever they fancy.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And it's all in a day's work for the opportunist thief.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34We fitted GPS trackers into a number of items, including a laptop,
0:02:34 > 0:02:35a camera and a bike.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40So if they're stolen, we can follow the satellite signal on a smartphone
0:02:40 > 0:02:42or a tablet and track down the thief.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Following the thieves' every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55who mounted our covert surveillance operations.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Our research showed that bike theft is a major problem in Britain,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06with one bicycle stolen every 90 seconds,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08even when they're securely locked up.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10So we put this to the test.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Our undercover team hid a tracker in a bike,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18and they used a heavy-duty lock to secure it to some railings,
0:03:18 > 0:03:19like we all do.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21TRACKER BEEPS
0:03:21 > 0:03:23And once night fell,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26we didn't have long to wait until the bike attracted interest.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Even though the bike was securely locked up,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45they ripped it from the railings,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48using a classic bike thieves' technique.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50And the Thief Trackers were hot on their heels,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52following them as they headed north.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05No.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18The gang who took the bike were tracked to
0:04:18 > 0:04:20this North London housing estate, and the tracker signal said
0:04:20 > 0:04:22it was definitely there.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38The team staked out the estate overnight,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40but there was no sign of the gang.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So they decided to leaflet the area about their bike,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45hoping to spook the thief into making a move.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49And the tactics worked, as the tracker showed the bike
0:04:49 > 0:04:52was on the move, with Thief Trackers in pursuit.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00The GPS signal from the bike led the undercover team
0:05:00 > 0:05:04to another North London housing estate, just two miles away.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06This is the building
0:05:06 > 0:05:10where I believe our bike is at the moment.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Let's head upstairs.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Let's try this first floor, see if it's here.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26There's a bike.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37All right, we're getting really close to where
0:05:37 > 0:05:39the tracker thinks it is.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41It's either here or the floor below.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45One of these houses has the bike, definitely.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48We need to get in the car
0:05:48 > 0:05:49and stake it out a little bit.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57And the long wait paid off, when they see what they thought
0:05:57 > 0:06:00might be one of the gang who stole the bike.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02You're pretty sure it's him?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I'd say I'm 95% sure.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I think this young guy is not the guy that took the bike,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11but definitely involved with that group.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17It's interesting though. It means that either he's now got it,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19or the guy who did take it is still in the building as well,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22because the tracker says it's still here.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27There were no further sightings.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28But the team kept watching.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34That's the bike! That's the bike! That's the bike!
0:06:35 > 0:06:36OK.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Because they're not the police, they can only approach the boy,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45who was walking with his mother, to ask him if he'd seen a stolen bike.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I don't know if you've seen my bike around recently?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50I lost it in this area. It's a bit like this one.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Yeah, it's a bit like that one, with these kind of handlebars.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Have you seen it?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's your friend's?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Do you know where he maybe possibly got it from?
0:06:58 > 0:06:59It's his bike?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04No, no. It's all right. Basically, I thought it looks a bit like my bike
0:07:04 > 0:07:05that went missing.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I just had a bike that went missing recently in this area.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would never say it was your...
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Yeah.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24All right.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Both the boy and his mother claim he has not had anything to do with it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30But we still have the unblurred footage of the crime,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32which we're happy to show to the police.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Not long after that conversation, our tracking device went dead.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40The likely scenario is that they've stripped the bike down,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44found it and discarded it somewhere.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47But you can make it more difficult for the thieves to steal your bike
0:07:47 > 0:07:50by taking some simple precautions.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Always invest in the best lock you can afford,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54leave it chained in a busy area,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and, if possible, choose somewhere covered by CCTV.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10We looked at how the thieves operate across Britain and it showed that
0:08:10 > 0:08:14criminals choose their targets, often young females and males,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15in busy city centres,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19where, with so much going on, people can be easily distracted.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22These thieves often work in gangs
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and can move your stolen items ou of the area within minutes,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29by handing them to a second person, who spirits them away.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32We put it to the test and sent our undercover team out to mount
0:08:32 > 0:08:37a surveillance operation outside a cafe on a busy city street.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40One of the Thief Trackers had a camera in a bag at their feet,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44like we all do. Except this camera is fitted with a GPS tracker.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47OK everyone, here we go.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And whilst distracted on the phone, this happened.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17He's on a bike! He is on a bike!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Not able to catch up with the thief on foot,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36the thief tracking team jumped in a cab.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40OK, so we're following a tracker right now.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41There a bag that's been stolen.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Can you give you directions that you can follow for us?
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Thank you, mate. He is now in an estate just off Page Street.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Marsham Street at the moment.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55So he's obviously still cycling.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58He's crossing Lambeth Bridge.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04We're close. He's on the bridge, definitely on the bridge.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Keep an eye out for a blue bike.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- There he is, there he is, there he is.- Right there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12That's him there. That's him there on the bike, right there.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14So, let's keep an eye on this guy. Keep him close.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Don't let him see the cameras, boys.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Let's keep following. Just keep following.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22We're going to maybe talk to this guy in a minute.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Next to that blue pub up there.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The team saw the thief pass the bike to someone in a car.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38But first, they were going to tackle the thief.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40All right. Here we go.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42A potentially risky situation.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's too dangerous to accuse the man of stealing.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- He's taken the bag. - They're not the police,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52so they can only ask if he's seen the stolen camera bag.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Sorry to bother you.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28He brazenly denied taking the camera,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31but they saw him pass it to someone in the car,
0:11:31 > 0:11:32so they challenge the driver.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Excuse me.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Right.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The undercover team saw the thief passing the camera bag
0:11:57 > 0:12:00to the woman in the car. But as she denied all knowledge,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03they couldn't push this any further.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07But the tracking signal showed the camera on the move again,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10going a short distance to Lambeth North tube station.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Then popping up in the West End of London,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16where the signal finally went dead.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's more than likely that the tracker was found in the camera bag
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and destroyed.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The speed at which the camera left the area shows how quickly
0:12:26 > 0:12:28our possessions can disappear.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It also demonstrates how gangs operate as a team,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35using one person to steal an item and another to move it on.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Now, it doesn't surprise me that the camera ended up here
0:12:38 > 0:12:40in the back streets of the West End,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44where there are plenty of opportunities to sell it for cash.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47We still have the unblurred footage of the thief and his friend,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49should the police want to take a look.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The advice is to always keep bags and cameras strapped to the front
0:12:55 > 0:12:58of your body when you're out and about.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And be aware of who is around you at all times.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14But it's not just in cities where crime is committed.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Rural areas are targeted, too.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Often, the thieves look for what they think will be easy targets
0:13:20 > 0:13:22with high rewards.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Evesham United Football Club was formed just after
0:13:25 > 0:13:28the Second World War by soldiers returning from the front.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Today, it's still the heart of the community
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and is mostly run by volunteers.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39We have approximately 28 to 30 teams using the ground every week
0:13:39 > 0:13:41for training and matches.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The main part of the club is the kids.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49The majority of the kids,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54they come here at four or five and they're with this until 16, 17, 18.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57And hopefully, one of them, or maybe two or three,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59just might make it to the first team.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06We've gone from just one pitch to having 12 pitches.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Keeping the pitches in perfect shape is a full-time job
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and one that this man takes pride in.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I love the job, yes.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18I wouldn't be without it.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22I do have my moans about it, but I just couldn't take it
0:14:22 > 0:14:24away from here. I just love coming here.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I do like going up and down on the tractor.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Not so much in the winter when it's a bit cold.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34To make his job easier, the club bought him
0:14:34 > 0:14:36the best they could afford.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Oh, the tractor
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and the mower combined I think is mid-20s.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45About £25,000 altogether for the package.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49A lot of money for a club like this, yeah.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Because their tractor had been stolen once before,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56the club decided to protect their investment.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It's the location, you know. It's away from the town.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's on the main trunk road.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I felt it was imperative that we had a tracker fitted.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09These vehicles sometimes aren't insured.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11So, just to invest £250 in a tracker
0:15:11 > 0:15:13to see the safe return of your asset
0:15:13 > 0:15:15is a massive and very significant investment.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20They were about to discover the benefits of a tracker
0:15:20 > 0:15:22when the tractor was stolen again.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I usually get in round about eight o'clock.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32When I came past and the gates were open,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35that set the alarm bells ringing straightaway.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I had a look around for the lock. No sign of the lock.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Proceeded down the driveway.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46I could see, obviously, the fencing and everything had been moved.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50The barriers moved and everything.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52I thought it might have just been kids,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55so it wasn't until I walked up there and could see all the tyre marks
0:15:55 > 0:15:57of different vehicles and everything,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I started to put two and two together.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Well, I could see the tracks obviously going around behind
0:16:04 > 0:16:07the fence, you know, behind the main pitch and everything.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11So, straightaway, I think, yeah, tractor's gone missing again.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And it was a question of just going round to the compound, checking it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Just opened up the container and the tractor was gone.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Bit of a shock.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24So, straight on the phone to the chairman.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30I had a phone call from Nigel Gregg, the groundsman,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32to inform me that the tractor had gone again.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38So then my first job is to ring Tracker,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42then the police... and then they liaise.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47It's about 8:30 in the morning when
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Mr Cockerton realised that the vehicle had gone.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53He contacted the tracker control desk and we were able
0:16:53 > 0:16:56to activate it very quickly.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58The unit acknowledged within seconds.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01MACHINE BEEPS
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We were able to see on our GPS satellite maps
0:17:04 > 0:17:06where it actually was.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09We then deployed a police vehicle from West Mercia Police
0:17:09 > 0:17:11to the location
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and the vehicle was successfully recovered, free of damage.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It was found round about eight miles from where it was stolen,
0:17:19 > 0:17:20so we suspect it was probably
0:17:20 > 0:17:23someone in that local area who knew that the tractor
0:17:23 > 0:17:26was there and decided to remove it to a place where they were
0:17:26 > 0:17:30later going to move it, on and we do tend to see a lot of these vehicles
0:17:30 > 0:17:33moved to the ports, put in steel containers
0:17:33 > 0:17:34and moved abroad to places
0:17:34 > 0:17:38like Africa, India and the Far East.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43We knew where the tractor was the same morning.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48And we got it back here at around about one o'clock.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It was a really good feeling to be able to get on there,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55drive it back and we would be able
0:17:55 > 0:17:58to start using it again almost as soon
0:17:58 > 0:17:59as we got back to the club.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05I don't think we would have got the tractor back possibly without
0:18:05 > 0:18:07that tracker fitted to it.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Getting your car stolen is a rare occurrence these days,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19with the figures showing a sharp drop in car theft.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23But many of us still leave items
0:18:23 > 0:18:26like phones, purses and laptops in our cars,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28making tempting targets for the thieves,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and theft from a car is still
0:18:31 > 0:18:33one of the most reported crimes in the UK.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And to show just how determined the criminals can be,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39we fitted a laptop with a tracker.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44If stolen, we can use the GPS signal to follow where it goes
0:18:44 > 0:18:45and track down the thieves.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48We then left it on the back-seat of this car,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51just as anyone would do if they leave the car parked,
0:18:51 > 0:18:52forgetting it was there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56The Thief Trackers undercover team rigged the car
0:18:56 > 0:19:00with hidden cameras to catch any unsuspecting thief in action.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So we're going to park the car up in a location in east London.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10It's an up-and-coming area but still subject to very high levels
0:19:10 > 0:19:13of vehicle crime - in fact, the highest levels in London.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17They parked the car with the laptop containing a tracker in the street
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and then sat back to watch and wait.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28And it wasn't long before there was some interest.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50That's an attempted theft, right there.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The Thief Tracker team picked up the trail of the thief
0:20:23 > 0:20:25from the GPS signal on the tracker.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27All right, go straight down here.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31See, he's taking this route and then
0:20:31 > 0:20:34when you get to the end, he's gone left.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Right, so we've got a single yellow line here
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and a load of parking bays up there,
0:20:45 > 0:20:46so given that this is a dead end,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I think what's happened is he must have
0:20:49 > 0:20:53parked his vehicle up somewhere and then continued on foot
0:20:53 > 0:20:57to one of the bus stops that we've got up here,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59so we're going to need to get back into the vehicle,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02check on what the tracker is doing and see if we can get
0:21:02 > 0:21:03behind him again.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11So you're going to be taking this exit here and he's on West Ham Lane,
0:21:11 > 0:21:12heading northbound.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17And then after that there's a number of buildings,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and I think he's probably gone to ground in one of those.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32This large building is the location of the laptop.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35We know that the laptop is in there at the moment.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39What we need to do now is get out of here before we attract any attention
0:21:39 > 0:21:42to ourselves. We'll stake out this location and wait for the laptop
0:21:42 > 0:21:44to move again.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The signal didn't move for several hours.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- Coming up again. - But during the night shift,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54the tracker sprung into life.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06They staked out the house but the signal didn't move,
0:22:06 > 0:22:07so they watched and waited.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The next day the tracker still hadn't moved,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19so the team decided to return to the area where the laptop was stolen
0:22:19 > 0:22:21to check whether it was the thief's regular hunting ground.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24That looks like the car.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Yeah.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29That's not the same numberplate.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- I think it's two numberplates. - It could be.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38That second numberplate, that could be...
0:22:38 > 0:22:40a fake one on top, it could be a clone.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Look at these guys.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46There's definitely something going on down there.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49I think we should leave.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55The Thief Tracker team decided to withdraw for their own safety.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The undercover team spent two weeks staking out this area and there was
0:22:59 > 0:23:02no sign of the thief, even though his car was still here.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07What they did notice was that his vehicle was bearing false plates.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10They were stuck over to conceal what was underneath.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Now, there is no good reason for a vehicle to
0:23:13 > 0:23:15conceal its true identity.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19With the tracker signal having gone dead and no sign of the thief,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21the undercover team sadly had to call it a day.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24But the crook hasn't won,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27as we have his theft on camera and can show the police who he is.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We all leave our cars parked up
0:23:32 > 0:23:34on streets at one time or another,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and the best way of avoiding being broken into
0:23:36 > 0:23:39is to not leave anything on view.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Either hide it in the glove compartment
0:23:41 > 0:23:46or take it with you, and always try to park in a busy, well-lit area.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57The top area for thieves to target are busy transport hubs,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01because of the sheer volume of people passing through every day.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The more people, the more potential victims.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Once they've committed the crimes, the crooks can use the large crowd
0:24:08 > 0:24:10to melt in to and get clean away.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17One of the team took a position outside a mainline station
0:24:17 > 0:24:19with a personal computer known as a tablet,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23which has been fitted with a tracker in the pocket of his rucksack.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26He placed it at his side, as any one of us might do.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29With the team watching nearby...
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- OK, we're on. - ..the tracker went live.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Will he stop? No.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Yeah.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Hold on, I've seen this guy before.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58And it was the same man, back again.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07He's taken it. He's taken it. OK, let's go, let's go.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The Thief Trackers went on his trail.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Although the signal from the tracker showed where the thief was heading,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30the team needed to know that they were going to stop the right man,
0:25:30 > 0:25:35so they check the footage to see what he looked like.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Right.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38That way to the right.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Stopping and questioning any thief is a potentially risky business.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59No. You can check me. I have no tablet.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- Samsung tablet? - No, man.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07He hadn't got the tablet on him and he denied stealing it,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09but we knew he'd took it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Not a white tablet?- You can check my bag, you can check my bag.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26OK, no worries.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33We caught up with the thief, but not the stolen tablet,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35but the tracking signal was still live,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37showing the tablet was somewhere nearby.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The tablet was definitely around this area,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53so the team searched thoroughly.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Oh!
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Found it.- That's amazing.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- Wow, one for the tracking squad, right?- Yeah.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Trackers one, robbers nil.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It's a great result, and our hidden cameras
0:27:31 > 0:27:33captured the thief in action,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35footage we can share with the police.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41With amazing tracking technology
0:27:41 > 0:27:43we've shown how easily and quickly
0:27:43 > 0:27:46your property can be stolen and what happens to it
0:27:46 > 0:27:48once a crook has got their hands on it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Your local police website is a great source of more information
0:27:53 > 0:27:55about how to keep your possessions safe,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and if you have a valuable item,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59a tracking device can be an option.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04With prices ranging from £15 to over £500, depending on the type.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And finally, most opportunist thieves are looking
0:28:09 > 0:28:11for the easiest target,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15so just take steps to make it more difficult for them to choose you.