0:00:02 > 0:00:04Bag snatches, robberies and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07According to the latest police figures, more than 3,500 incidents
0:00:07 > 0:00:10of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Please, help me, my mum is being murdered.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15- Give me the key! - WOMAN SCREAMS
0:00:15 > 0:00:17He just thought someone was trying to kill me.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20But what happens to our belongings when they are stolen?
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Hiding trackers inside items, like cameras, smartphones
0:00:28 > 0:00:33and bicycles, to trace their every move.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34The thieves think they have got away with it,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37but we have got them under surveillance.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47we'll get an insight into the criminal mind...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..and uncover the unseen journey
0:00:51 > 0:00:53that our possessions take when they are stolen.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Today, the Thief Trackers are on the trail of a stolen bicycle...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13..coming face-to-face with a gang of opportunist thieves.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Is that the bike? That's the bike, that's the bike!
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Plus, London's most wanted shoplifter is tracked
0:01:19 > 0:01:22by Scotland Yard's super-recognisers -
0:01:22 > 0:01:24the cops who never forget a face...
0:01:24 > 0:01:26I think he was definitely of the illusion
0:01:26 > 0:01:28that he would never be caught.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30One can only presume how many hundreds of crimes
0:01:30 > 0:01:32he has gotten away with.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33..and Midlands Police crack down
0:01:33 > 0:01:35on a terrifying carjacking spree...
0:01:35 > 0:01:39He actually physically grabbed hold of me and threw me out of the car
0:01:39 > 0:01:42into the middle of the road. And then they just drove off.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44..as mindless crooks are caught on camera.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58With concerns about our health and the environment,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03more and more of us have taken to two wheels.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06An opportunity for an ever-increasing type of crime -
0:02:06 > 0:02:11bike theft. Over 300,000 bikes were stolen in 2015.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Helping the Thief Trackers with our investigation
0:02:17 > 0:02:20is our specialist crime advisor, Alex Stewart.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23He was assigned to some of the toughest areas in London,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27both on patrol, as an undercover officer, and his time with the force
0:02:27 > 0:02:29in the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32From theft, to drugs, to violent crime,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35he has seen what life is like on the streets.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41You would think using a secure chain like this would deter thieves.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43But you'd be wrong.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46It can take as little as ten seconds to steal a bike.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48They are easy to steal, they are quick to sell
0:02:48 > 0:02:49and very hard to trace,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52which is why bike theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes
0:02:52 > 0:02:53in Britain.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00We bought a bike worth £500 and fitted it with GPS trackers.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04If it gets stolen, we can track the bike and the criminals,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09using satellite tracking technology, just like your car's satnav.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Following their every move is the Thief Trackers' undercover team,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22For their safety, you will not see them,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24you will hear their voices.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Keep the camera on these guys.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36The stakeout is set up on a side street
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and the team have locked our bike securely to some railings,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44using a heavy-duty bike lock, as any of us do.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The trackers are live. Time to watch and wait.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00It is quiet during daylight hours,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03but most theft happens under the cover of darkness.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They rip the bike from the railings
0:04:31 > 0:04:34using a classic bike thieves' technique.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The Thief Trackers are hot on their heels, heading north.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53But on two wheels, rather than four,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56the crooks cut through back streets and alleys.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52The gang who took the bike have been tracked
0:05:52 > 0:05:54to this North London housing estate.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56The Trackers' signal says it's here.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07So, the team stake out the area,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10waiting for the thieves to make their next move.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Later, the Thief Trackers hunt down our stolen bike...
0:06:17 > 0:06:21All right, we are getting really close to where the tracker
0:06:21 > 0:06:24thinks it is. One of these houses has the bike, definitely.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26..closing in on the bike snatchers.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Are you pretty sure it's him?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30I'd say I'm 95% sure.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39The police are constantly looking for ways to help fight crime,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42adopting new tactics to track down crooks.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46CCTV has been around for a long time, but it's only recently
0:06:46 > 0:06:48that its use has been fully exploited.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52It has been my crusade for many years,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55to get the police to take the CCTV...
0:06:55 > 0:06:57To get it dealt with properly.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59A voice in the wilderness for many years.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05But his vision became a reality when, in 2011, a unique squad
0:07:05 > 0:07:09was set up at New Scotland Yard, combining CCTV footage
0:07:09 > 0:07:13with a specialised team of officers, who have an extraordinary ability
0:07:13 > 0:07:17to remember faces. Known as super-recognisers,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20the unit is run by Mick Neville.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Well, this department is concerned with catching criminals with images.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Generally, that is CCTV
0:07:25 > 0:07:28but it could be some footage that someone has captured
0:07:28 > 0:07:31on their mobile phone or a camera or any other sort of pictures.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35The real catalyst for it all was the riots of 2011,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40which made the police rethink how they deal with CCTV evidence
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and realised that they had to professionalise it
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and make it like a forensic discipline.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Our aim is to identify those suspects
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and make sure they appear before the courts.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Two leading members of the team were hand-picked
0:07:55 > 0:07:57for their special skills.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Super-recognisers are people who have an ability
0:07:59 > 0:08:03to recall a face, essentially. Store that information in the mind.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'I have been a police officer for about 14 years now,'
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and last year I came up to Scotland Yard
0:08:09 > 0:08:13and identified that you could link crimes together.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Because I was putting in quite a lot of identifications,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I then got an e-mail from Scotland Yard, basically saying,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22"We think you are a super-recogniser"
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and sent me off for testing with the University of Greenwich.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28So, that combination of getting those correct identifications
0:08:28 > 0:08:30from CCTV of suspects who are wanted
0:08:30 > 0:08:33put me on the world's first super-recogniser list.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38We are the only people in the world who actually sit there
0:08:38 > 0:08:41and look at imagery. So, just one dedicated team
0:08:41 > 0:08:44to go and look at CCTV images of outstanding suspects.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49We can link similar offences together on our database.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51So, one, we can track the offending pattern and say,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54"Look, how many cases have we got to put to this man?"
0:08:54 > 0:08:5610, 20, 30, 40, 50 cases.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59And then the court can sentence them appropriately.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02But to link anyone criminal to a number of crimes,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05the super-recognisers need specialised techniques
0:09:05 > 0:09:07to identify suspects.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The kind of things I look for when I make an identification -
0:09:10 > 0:09:16nose shape, jawline, sometimes, the ear lobes, shape of the ears.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19In 2015, they proved their worth,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21with one of their biggest cases.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23We had a suspect who was a shoplifter,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25but an unusual kind of shoplifter.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28One of the officers in the unit
0:09:28 > 0:09:31said, "Hang on a minute, I've seen this guy before."
0:09:31 > 0:09:33They were not just focusing on his facial features.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35It was also the kind of clothing he was wearing.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39He was pretty well dressed. Collared shirt, V-neck jumper.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Quite distinctive, really.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Not your usual guy you would associate with those sort of things.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47This suspect was stealing from high-end boutiques
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and designer stores in Notting Hill,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Knightsbridge, Sloane Street -
0:09:51 > 0:09:53very, very fashionable areas of London.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The goods that he was taking were pretty unique.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59They were small, quite concealable,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01but of a very, very high value.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06He waits for one split second for somebody to turn their back
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and, as he walks up to join them at the counter,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11he picks up the bracelet and puts it in his pocket.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We had to draw an arrow of it and slow down the CCTV,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18to show when the theft actually occurs.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19The eagle-eyed detectives
0:10:19 > 0:10:21began to link this one man elsewhere.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25He could talk to staff very confidently.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Sometimes, he would give a little story about his wife
0:10:28 > 0:10:30or his girlfriend being parked close by
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and wanting to enquire about an item in another size.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35All he needed was that small opportunity to do the theft.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39He would not steal and then run out in a panic.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So, he did not really arouse suspicion until it was too late
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and he had already left. Very audacious, but very skilled.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We did not know who he was, so we had snapped him in action
0:10:50 > 0:10:53on these images and we got to about 10 or 15
0:10:53 > 0:10:57and still did not know who he was. He became our number one target.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00The team were determined to catch this prolific shoplifter,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04trawling through more and more CCTV footage.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07We linked the suspect to 43 offences.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10All of these offences had all been independently investigated
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and, actually, independently shut down.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Because the suspect was quite good, he did not leave any other clues.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Witnesses could describe him quite well,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21but they were varying descriptions.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It was really CCTV imagery that was his undoing.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28It was by us building up a series of all these shut-down crimes,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and then working out who it was and making them all live again.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34The super-recognisers used their unique ability
0:11:34 > 0:11:36to remember and positively identify a face
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to place him at 43 crime scenes across London.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42But they still did not have a name.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46We had him wanted for a series of crimes and then did a media release
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and we received anonymous information, with his name.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Once we had the first name, we were able to track him
0:11:52 > 0:11:55through the custody system and found out who he was.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58We got a first name - Austin - back.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02We went through our arrest photo database, to every Austin.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I think there were 73 in the Metropolitan Police
0:12:05 > 0:12:07who we had custody images of.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08There was a real buzz when we identified him.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12When the image of Austin Caballero came up and we were able to go,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15"Bingo! That is the guy who has been on our wall for months."
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Then, the trick was, how do we track him down?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23We started looking at anyone who had ever committed a crime with him,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26been stopped with him. And these are people we did not know before.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27As super-recognisers,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29we are also committing a face to memory, as well.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Criminals are not the kind of people
0:12:31 > 0:12:35who go out speed dating together and then decide to go out
0:12:35 > 0:12:36and commit a crime, or just meet.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39There's always some kind of association.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41We found that many of those people that he was associated with
0:12:41 > 0:12:45had also committed similar crimes. We ended up with a total
0:12:45 > 0:12:49of 100 crimes for him and his network of criminal friends.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52We arrested those other people and they were brought to justice
0:12:52 > 0:12:54for the crimes they had committed,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57but Mr Caballero remained outstanding.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00But now they knew who he was,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the team are not going to let him get away.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06We looked at telephones that were associated with him.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08We looked at bank accounts,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11financial stuff he had been involved in.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And what we got when we were doing that was a real picture of him.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16People he had come into contact with, as well,
0:13:16 > 0:13:17they always have an opinion,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19or he had done something that annoyed them.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21It was interesting that they disliked him.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24He was not even popular amongst the criminal community.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Eventually, this guy was always going to make some sort of mistake,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and we find that a lot with people we are trying to track.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33On New Year's Day, he took a taxi cab, for some reason.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36He decided not to pay the very small fare.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Now, who, knowing that they are wanted for 43 crimes,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42would do that? You would think, if you are in that scenario,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45you would pay the fare for the cab. But the suspect did not do that.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48He caused a scene in the cab, which led to him being arrested.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51However, when he was arrested,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54he gave us false details. Then, the custody sergeant said,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57"Hang on, we have not done your fingerprints yet.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00"We'd better take those." As soon as they took the prints,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03alarm bells rang - "Wanted x 43" - and we got the call.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I think Caballero was definitely under the illusion
0:14:06 > 0:14:07he wouldn't be caught.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09And he was right, really.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10There was certainly a bit of...
0:14:10 > 0:14:12arrogance and confidence about him.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14One can only presume how many hundreds of crimes
0:14:14 > 0:14:16he's gotten away with as well.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19All their hard work paid off when they presented Caballero
0:14:19 > 0:14:22with the painstakingly gathered CCTV evidence
0:14:22 > 0:14:26showing he was not a petty thief, but a career criminal.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28He was convicted on a guilty plea
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and received just under a four-year sentence,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33which is massive for shoplifting.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35The number of offences and the value, you know,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37in excess of £100,000 worth of property
0:14:37 > 0:14:39stolen during these offences.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So it was a good hit.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It is wonderful to be at the forefront of new ways
0:14:44 > 0:14:46of solving crime.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We are now solving more crimes than DNA.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Scotland Yard pioneered the use of fingerprints
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and now we're pioneering the use of CCTV,
0:14:55 > 0:14:56and people from around the world
0:14:56 > 0:14:59want to come and see how we do it so well.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Tracking down and retrieving your stolen property
0:15:06 > 0:15:09from the hands of thieves can be an almost impossible task,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13especially once it's been passed down the criminal chain.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17The Thief Trackers undercover team
0:15:17 > 0:15:19are mounting our own surveillance operation.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Earlier on we had a bike stolen from a London side street.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30He's going to go for it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Gone.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Our undercover team picked up the trail of the thief
0:15:34 > 0:15:37thanks to the tracker in the bike...
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It's going through Paradise Park.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42He's fast, ain't he?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45..ending up in this North London housing estate.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53The team has been on stakeout
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and there's no sign of the gang.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Time to rattle the thief's cage a little with some mind games
0:16:00 > 0:16:03to see if we can spook them into making a move.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07The team leaflet the area,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09asking if anyone has seen their stolen bike.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And our tactics work.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15The bike is on the move, but whoever has it
0:16:15 > 0:16:17has taken it out the back door,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20with the Thief Trackers hot on their heels.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The GPS signal from the tracker on the bike leads the undercover team
0:16:37 > 0:16:41to another North London housing estate just two miles away.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47This is the building where I believe
0:16:47 > 0:16:49our bike is at the moment.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53It's quite a big estate. Lots of entrances and access points.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57When we look at the status of the tracker,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59they took it out yesterday for a little ride.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01So, it's still being used,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03which is good for us.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Let's head upstairs.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Let's try this first floor. See if it's here.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14This was a gang that took the bike.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Let's check the top floor now,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26see if it's on the landing outside any houses.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37There's a bike.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47All right, we're getting really close
0:17:47 > 0:17:49to where the tracker thinks it is.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52It's either here or the floor below.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56One of these houses has the bike, definitely.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We need to get in the car
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and stake it out a little bit...
0:18:02 > 0:18:05to see if they come out for another little jaunt this evening.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Knowing the bike is in the building is one thing,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18catching someone with it is another.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So the team wait.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Big crowd of people here.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Not our man, though.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Are you pretty sure it's him?
0:18:31 > 0:18:32I'd say I'm 95% sure.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39I think this young guy is not the guy that took the bike,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42but definitely involved with that group.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It's interesting, though.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46It means either he's now got it,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49or the guy who did take it is still in the building as well
0:18:49 > 0:18:52because the tracker says it's still here.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Not 100% it's one of the gang,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and with no sight of the bike,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57the team decide to hold tight.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08There are no further sightings,
0:19:08 > 0:19:09but they keep watching.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Is that the bike? That's the bike, that's the bike!
0:19:29 > 0:19:30OK.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37He's got our stolen bike, and this team was definitely
0:19:37 > 0:19:41at the scene of the crime when it was ripped from the railings.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44And it looks like his mum's with him.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47We're not the police so we can't accuse him of theft,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49but we can ask him a few questions.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I was wondering if you've seen my bike around recently?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54I lost it in this area. A bit like this one, yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It's a bit like that one, with these kind of handlebars.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Have you seen it?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00It's your friends?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Do you know where he maybe possibly got it from?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- It's his bike?- Yeah, it's his.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06No, no. Sorry.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Basically, I just saw it looks a bit like my bike that went missing.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I just had a bike that went missing recently in this area.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I would never say it was your...
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Yeah.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28All right.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31They might claim it's a mate's bike,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34but our unblurred footage speaks for itself,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38analysed for us by our crime adviser Alex Stewart.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39His mum claims he's innocent,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43but that lad is definitely part of the group that stole our bike.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46He's clearly been spooked by the confrontation
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and ridden off as fast as he can.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51They now know that we know who they are and where they are,
0:20:51 > 0:20:56and not long after that conversation our tracking device went dead.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59The likely scenario is that they've stripped the bike down,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01found it and discarded it somewhere.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But our footage of that theft remains intact,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and we're more than happy to hand it over to the police
0:21:06 > 0:21:08so they can take action.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It isn't often that police are able to catch crooks in the act,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21so proving their guilt after the fact is difficult.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Advances in tracking and security technology
0:21:23 > 0:21:26are helping in the fight against crime,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and car crime is no exception.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30We had had a spate of carjackings
0:21:30 > 0:21:33within the Coventry and Warwickshire area,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and at the time we were experiencing between two to three a week.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38We had a very good idea who was responsible
0:21:38 > 0:21:41but, like most things in the police,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43knowing and evidence are completely two different things
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and we were in the process of building an investigation
0:21:46 > 0:21:48against those people.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51But before the police could crack the case,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53the thieves were about to strike again,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55this time in the outskirts of Coventry
0:21:55 > 0:21:58in an area local residents considered safe.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I've lived here for probably about 10, 15 years.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Everything is really close,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and I know quite a lot of people in the area, as well.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I've never felt unsafe, being here,
0:22:10 > 0:22:11cos I know everybody,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13so if anything's ever going on,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16somebody somewhere along the line normally tells you about it anyway.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17But one evening,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21that was about to change for Tracy and her nine-year-old son Mitchell.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I have my nails done, and the lady who normally does my nails
0:22:24 > 0:22:28used to come to my house, so I made an appointment with her...
0:22:29 > 0:22:34..and then she rang me and asked me if I could go to the salon.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Me and my son then sort of jumped in the car,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39cos my appointment was at seven o'clock at night.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44But what Tracy didn't know was she was being watched,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and followed.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49They always say you should trust your gut instinct
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and I've never sort of been one for that sort of thing,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55but my gut told me, as soon as I pulled into the road,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58something told me something was wrong.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01I parked the car up.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05I was probably literally about 10 feet away from the door.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I get my nails done, they're looking all pretty and wonderful,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15we leave the shop at sort of like... around eight o'clock.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24And then I waited for my son
0:23:24 > 0:23:28to get into the passenger side of the car,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32and, as I go to close my driver's door,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I just feel there's something blocking it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- Give me the keys! - SCREAMING
0:23:39 > 0:23:41He actually physically grabbed hold of me
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and he just sort of threw me out of the car into the middle of the road.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46He jumps into the car
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and then whoever he was with
0:23:48 > 0:23:51jumps in to the passenger side of the car.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56And then they just drove off.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58Go on!
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Was that all right?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04As soon as they started to drive away from me,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07my next thought was, "Where's Mitchell?"
0:24:07 > 0:24:08That's my little boy.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And I was just like "Oh, my God, Mitchell's in the car."
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Slow down.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Luckily, Mitchell used his loaf.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22He ran off down the road
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and some ladies had come out,
0:24:24 > 0:24:25they were just down the road and he was like,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28"Please help me, my mummy's being murdered,"
0:24:28 > 0:24:29cos that was his first thought,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32he just thought someone was trying to kill me. So...
0:24:32 > 0:24:33I get a bit upset by that.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The police literally missed them by seconds.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Because the car is so fast and so powerful,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43you wouldn't have caught it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:24:49 > 0:24:53This was a pre-planned, organised crime group.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57They will see a car, they will follow that car,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00get to know that person's routine, comings and goings,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03you know, a common street or route that it may pass,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05take a photo of it
0:25:05 > 0:25:07to then send on to the potential buyer,
0:25:07 > 0:25:08to get a yes or no response,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and then they take their opportunity.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Where they chose to park the car was quite a quiet street.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Because it looked out of place or out of character for the area,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24a member of the public rang up and informed the police
0:25:24 > 0:25:26and we went out and recovered that vehicle,
0:25:26 > 0:25:27and it was at that point
0:25:27 > 0:25:30we then became aware of the footage that was on board.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32What the thieves didn't know
0:25:32 > 0:25:35was their every move was being filmed on a hidden camera,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39recording their high-speed getaway and every word they said.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- Was that all right?- No.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53So, on there we can see that they are driving at speeds
0:25:53 > 0:25:57where they almost collide with a taxi at 40mph taking that bend,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00having just gone through a red light.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Yes, yes, yes!
0:26:07 > 0:26:08It's excessive speeds,
0:26:08 > 0:26:13not really any regard for any oncoming vehicles.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26They parked the car up for around about an hour,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30which we assume would be to see if the car has got a tracker on board.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38They then met with the handlers and they sold it on,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and I think that part of the footage
0:26:41 > 0:26:43was probably the most chilling to watch.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59It just shows you how much disregard they had for anybody else.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It was all about getting that vehicle.
0:27:05 > 0:27:06When we viewed the footage,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09we were able to track the steps of the suspects.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Not only did we know the route that they had taken,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16we were able then to track back to the main suspect's house.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21When we went into the address,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26we retrieved clothing that had been featured in the footage...
0:27:28 > 0:27:31..which then put the offenders out for the relevant time periods
0:27:31 > 0:27:33wearing the relevant clothing,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35not only for this offence but other offences.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37So that one piece of footage
0:27:37 > 0:27:40allowed us to get the result that we did.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The carjackers were arrested and jailed.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45But this has been a lasting nightmare
0:27:45 > 0:27:47for both Tracy and her son.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Still, to this day, if I am going out on my own
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and things like that, he'll still go, "Where are you going?"
0:27:53 > 0:27:55We don't go out at night in the car.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58I'm never going to feel safe again, never.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01They've taken that away from me. It's gone now.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05And although I try my hardest not to, you know,
0:28:05 > 0:28:06not to let it bother me,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I mean, I like to consider myself to be a bit of a tough cookie,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12but it's never going to go away.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It's always going to be there. Always.