0:00:02 > 0:00:04Bag snatchers, pickpockets and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06According to the latest police figures,
0:00:06 > 0:00:07more than 3,500 incidents of theft
0:00:07 > 0:00:10are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13He was the innocent victim of a scam that is all too common.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15I was angry.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Thief Trackers show us who takes them and where they go...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25..hiding trackers inside desirable items
0:00:25 > 0:00:29like cameras, smartphones and bicycles
0:00:29 > 0:00:31to trace their every move.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The thieves think they've got away with it,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35but we've got them under surveillance.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46we'll get an insight into the criminal mind...
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..and uncover the unseen journey that our possessions take
0:00:51 > 0:00:52when they're stolen.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Today, the undercover team are on the trail of a stolen laptop...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..tracking the thief through the city streets.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13He's actually not much further ahead of us.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Plus, crooks on the run try to outwit the eye in the sky...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21They separated, made off across open fields.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24..but didn't bank on the eagle-eyed kids on the ground.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26As I panned the camera round, I saw that a number of
0:01:26 > 0:01:28the children had arranged themselves into an arrow.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30The remarkable thing is how accurate they were.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37And cutting-edge technology helps trace a motorbike's true identity.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The engine, the seat and the mirrors were from a different bike.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43This bike has been built by a thief.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Would you trust a bike thief to build your bike? I wouldn't.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Car theft across the UK has been reduced in the last ten years,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00mainly due to advances in technology,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03but theft FROM a vehicle is still a major problem.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Many drivers leave their possessions in the car,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and it's reported that across the UK
0:02:10 > 0:02:15over £3 billion worth of belongings are kept in vehicles overnight.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Helping the Thief Trackers with our investigation
0:02:21 > 0:02:24is our specialist crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29both on patrol and as an undercover officer
0:02:29 > 0:02:31in his time on the force with the Metropolitan Police.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36From theft to drugs to violence crime,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42We're all guilty of leaving our valuables in our car
0:02:42 > 0:02:44at one time or another -
0:02:44 > 0:02:47satnavs, mobile phones, even laptops,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50all creating a ready opportunity for thieves to target.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Most car break-ins are committed by thieves
0:02:53 > 0:02:55who target a specific area,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57often a quiet residential street,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00breaking into two or three cars before moving on.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02Keeping tabs on the thieves
0:03:02 > 0:03:05is the Thief Trackers' undercover team
0:03:05 > 0:03:09who will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13For their safety, you won't see them, but you'll hear their voices.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Keep your camera on these guys.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Laptops are the number one item stolen from cars.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30So we're fitting one with a tracker, so if it's stolen,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34we can use the GPS tracking signal to follow where it goes
0:03:34 > 0:03:35and track down the thieves.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41The Thief Trackers' undercover team rig our car with hidden cameras
0:03:41 > 0:03:43to catch any unsuspecting thief in action.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48So, we're going to park the car up in a location in east London.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50It's an up-and-coming area,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54but it's still subject to very high levels of vehicle crime.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56In fact, the highest levels in London.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59So we're very confident that if we put the car in this location
0:03:59 > 0:04:01someone is going to break into it.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08The car is parked on a side street.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10This is an everyday situation,
0:04:10 > 0:04:11as people step away from their cars,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14leaving property inside thinking it's safe.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16It's something we all do.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The laptop tracker is live.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The team sit tight in a nearby vehicle.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25It's time to watch and wait.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- This looks good.- He's having a look.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Just watching to see if anyone comes back, I think.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03He totally made a beeline for that car earlier.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04He really, really did.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Not a lot happens during the day,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13but as darkness falls, it's a different story.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40CAR HANDLE THUDS
0:05:40 > 0:05:41He can't get in.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51But he appears to have walked away.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55There's been no further attempts,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58so, for now, the Thief Trackers sit tight.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09The next day, it's not long before there's some interest in the car.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- OK, here we go.- Someone walking past. Oh. He's seen it.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Let's have a look. Have a look.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- Is it the same guy? - Yet, it is the same guy. Definitely.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Our suspect is back and parked his car right next to ours.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00He's now on the phone. Seems he needs advice on what to do.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Oh, that's an attempted theft right there.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14HE LAUGHS
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Sounds like we're wrong.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Later on, we'll pick up his trail
0:07:39 > 0:07:42as our laptop goes deeper into the criminal underworld.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44There's definitely something going on down here.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Once crooks have disappeared from the crime scene,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54it's hard to track them down.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Catching criminals on the run is always a challenge for the police.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But one of the most useful tracking tools they have
0:08:04 > 0:08:05is the helicopter units -
0:08:05 > 0:08:07the eye in the sky.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11The National Police Air Service use helicopters equipped with
0:08:11 > 0:08:15high-tech thermal imaging cameras which can pick up body heat.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So working with their colleagues on the ground,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the police can track criminals on the run, day or night,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23even if they hide in woodland,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25turning up the heat on the crooks.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30So, as a unit, we operate quite differently
0:08:30 > 0:08:32to the officers on the ground.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34We are quite often used for search tasks
0:08:34 > 0:08:37because we can cover a large area very quickly.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41You never know what you're going to be required for.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42It can very quickly change.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46You can turn up thinking our main role is to locate someone,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47search for someone and locate them,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and it can quickly develop into an evidence gathering
0:08:50 > 0:08:54or a tactical command, a public reassurance role.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57We're observers, so we're monitoring things out on the ground,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01we're communicating with our colleagues using the police radios,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03we're operating specialist camera equipment,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06we're assisting the pilot with communications,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08monitoring various channels.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Generally we'd operate with a pilot in the aircraft
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and two police officers, two tactical flight officers.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17The pilots themselves are not police officers -
0:09:17 > 0:09:20they're employed as civilian police staff,
0:09:20 > 0:09:21mostly ex-military.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26The important thing is, what objective do you want us to achieve?
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And that is to attend, search for, locate
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and then contain the persons and talk the ground units on.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37It was a normal day.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39We were just in the hangar,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and a call came through as a matter of routine from our dispatch centre.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44PHONE RINGS
0:09:44 > 0:09:47There was a report of intruders in an industrial premises
0:09:47 > 0:09:48in Capel in Surrey.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50OK, bear with me. Job!
0:09:52 > 0:09:56They'd been attempting to steal property from the premises
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and a security guard who's employed had been confronted and threatened,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03hence why he called for police assistance.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07There were rough descriptions that the fact the suspects were male
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and roughly what direction they'd made off in.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11That was about it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I would've run out of the office to the aircraft with the pilot,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16we get the aircraft fired up,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and then Rory will come out with all the details.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Quite often, with jobs, when you go to the aircraft,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23you've got a limited amount of information.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27The tactical commander often stays in the hangar as long as possible
0:10:27 > 0:10:30so that you can get the most up-to-date information.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Because it takes a couple of minutes to start the aircraft up,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36things may have changed - location, descriptions, etc.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Time was of the essence,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41and we needed to get there very quickly,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43if nothing else, to contain it
0:10:43 > 0:10:45before we commenced our search with the ground units.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Approaching the scene,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00we were predominantly trying to locate the suspects.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03We could see the brickworks from some distance away
0:11:03 > 0:11:05on the helicopter's camera,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08and there was almost an element of frustration at the start
0:11:08 > 0:11:10if you can't find what you're looking for.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14You can circle the target a number of times,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17but unless you immediately spot what you're looking for,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20it can be a bit... you realise that seconds count.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24There were no obvious suspects running away,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27driving away in order to track them.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31But that's when we got an update from the control room
0:11:31 > 0:11:35that a nearby resident had disturbed three males
0:11:35 > 0:11:38trying to break through the rear fence of his back garden.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42We identified where that resident lived
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and concentrated our search in that area.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48So, we were clearing the areas,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and then it was an excellent spot by my colleague, Matt Kilpatrick,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52who was operating the camera on the day.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Front seat role is all about assisting the pilot
0:11:55 > 0:11:56whilst we're on the way to the job.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Once we're on task, it's for me to operate the camera
0:11:59 > 0:12:00based on Rory's direction.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So Rory is speaking to the coppers on the ground,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04so our control room to their control room,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06obtaining all the information
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and identifying which areas are relevant for us to search.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It was a very small heat source, but it was immediately clear to me
0:12:14 > 0:12:16that it could have been a person.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18So we move the aircraft over and managed to identify
0:12:18 > 0:12:20that it was two people sat in the hedge.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23They're using the thermal imaging camera,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25which picks up on heat sources.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28So just because you're hiding in the bushes,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30it doesn't mean you can't be seen.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- RADIO:- New information -
0:12:32 > 0:12:35we've got two persons hiding beneath a tree.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The males soon realised, I think, that we were onto them.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41You could clearly see them on thermal imagery,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and it's almost, "When's the penny going to drop that we can see you?"
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Because, obviously, we are not in a position to lean out
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and say, "We can see you."
0:12:50 > 0:12:53They separated, made off across open fields.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- RADIO:- Now splitting, trying to create their own luck.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Then it was a case of, "Well, do we settle for one,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02"or do we try and juggle both?"
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I was following one of them on the camera and at that point,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I'm very focused on the screen on the front of the aircraft,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10so I lose my awareness of where the second suspect has gone.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I'm filming one, and Rory and Neil the pilot
0:13:15 > 0:13:18are keeping track on the other one out the window.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21It must have been a good 20 minutes we were monitoring them,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24trying to get the area contained and liaising with Surrey Police
0:13:24 > 0:13:26who were directing the ground units.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29There were lots of people out on the ground.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32You quite often see groups of people waving
0:13:32 > 0:13:33and trying to get your attention,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but you assume it's because it's a bit of a novelty
0:13:36 > 0:13:38having a police helicopter overhead.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42The kids were waving, and it was only five, ten minutes,
0:13:42 > 0:13:43it could have been longer than,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48that my colleague, Matt, then noticed the kids forming the arrow.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52As I panned the camera round, I saw that a number of the people,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54a number of the children had arranged themselves into
0:13:54 > 0:13:56an arrow in the middle of this ploughed field.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59My initial reaction was, "What are they all doing lying down?"
0:13:59 > 0:14:02And then, it kind of dawned on me, the shape they were laid in.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07The remarkable thing is how accurate they were.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09When we searched the area, I think you see from the footage,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11that Matt was able to track the camera
0:14:11 > 0:14:13towards the woodland they were pointing to,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15and coincidentally, at that point,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17the suspect realised he'd been rumbled...
0:14:18 > 0:14:19..and made a break for it,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23so we were then able to track him for as long as necessary.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27And because it was such a vast, open rural area,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30we had to talk them in from surrounding roads.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The first male had gone to ground beneath some bushes
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and was fairly confident we couldn't see him.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- RADIO:- In the bushes there, on the left.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40He wasn't going anywhere. Didn't want to break cover.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Our colleagues were able to go to his location
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and detain him straightaway.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- RADIO:- The male is in custody. Good work.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53The second suspect, who the Capel kids had pointed towards,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56decided that he wanted to run and run and run.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So we were able to track him using the camera...
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- RADIO:- You've got visual.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02..to a nearby location
0:15:02 > 0:15:05where officers were on standby with a marked vehicle,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and they were able to detain him without issue.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13After both suspects had been detained, we landed in the field,
0:15:13 > 0:15:14partly to thank the children
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and partly to work out what it was they were doing there.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It turned out they were part of an organised Easter egg hunt.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I get the impression that the first attempts of waving were
0:15:23 > 0:15:25"Hi, look at us! We're trying to help you!"
0:15:25 > 0:15:26We obviously didn't take the hint,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and they thought, "How else can we make it a bit more obvious?"
0:15:29 > 0:15:31And then we got the message second time round.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37It's nice to see their reaction and give them a positive message
0:15:37 > 0:15:40about how you can engage in a positive way with the police.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Somebody hit the nail on the head and said
0:15:44 > 0:15:46it was like an episode of Scooby-Doo,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49where the suspects are often heard to say,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51"If it wasn't for those pesky kids."
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I think that's very apt.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We're returning to our covert surveillance operation
0:16:00 > 0:16:03with the Thief Trackers undercover team.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Earlier, we rigged a car with hidden cameras
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and left a laptop on view inside.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12As the team watched nearby, this guy tried to force the window.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18When he had no luck, he made a more drastic move...
0:16:21 > 0:16:23..driving off with our laptop,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25unaware the team are following him
0:16:25 > 0:16:28thanks to the GPS signal from the tracker inside.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35The undercover team are joined by our crime advisor,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Alex Stewart, and together they pick up the thief's trail.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43So we need to go left here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Then it's going to be your second road on the right.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52All right, go straight down here.
0:16:52 > 0:16:58He's taking this route. When you get to the end, he's gone left.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02From the map, it looks like this joins up with West Ham Lane.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Oh. Right, we've reached a dead end.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14So we're going to have to stop and work out what's happened.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24All right, so we've got this single yellow line here
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and a load of parking bays up there.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28So given that this is a dead end,
0:17:28 > 0:17:33I think what's happened is he must have parked his vehicle up somewhere
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and then continued on foot to one of the bus stops
0:17:37 > 0:17:39that we've got up here.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41We're going to need to get back into the vehicle,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43check on what the tracker is doing
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and see if we can get behind them again.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57So just there on the left is the cul-de-sac that we ended up in.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Given the speed with which the device is now moving,
0:18:01 > 0:18:02I suspect he's on a bus.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08So you're going to be taking this exit here.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- He's on West Ham Lane heading northbound.- This first exit here?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Yeah. This exit here.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19You need to keep going straight in this direction.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Then when we get to this next junction,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- I want you bearing right.- Fine.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26At this junction here, I need you to go left.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31So once we've gone down a right here,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34he's actually not that much further ahead of us.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42What we're looking for is a road on our right-hand side.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Then, after that, there's a number of buildings.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I think he's probably gone to ground in one of those.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So we've come a long distance here. We're now in Walthamstow.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Just across this main road here is Walthamstow Magistrates' Court.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11This guy is brazen.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15He's stolen a laptop and come all the way north
0:19:15 > 0:19:20and is now opposite a court that he would go to if he got captured.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24This large building is the location of the laptop.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27We know that the laptop is in there at the moment.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Obviously it may be our suspect who's got it,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31it may be somebody else.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It may have changed hands at this point.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36What we need to do now is get out of here before we attract any
0:19:36 > 0:19:38attention to ourselves.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41We must stake out this location and wait for the laptop to move again.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46The signal doesn't move for several hours.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50During the night shift, the tracker springs into life.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53The Thief Trackers are hot on the trail.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The team follow the tracking signal...
0:20:11 > 0:20:13..leading them to a house four miles away.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44They stake out the house, but the signal doesn't move,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46so they watch and wait.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Overnight, the signal from the laptop disappears.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It's possible that the tracker has been discovered and destroyed.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00With no sign of the thief or his car, the team decide to
0:21:00 > 0:21:04return to the area where the laptop was stolen to try and find him.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07That looks like the car.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12This looks like the thief's car.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I think it's two numberplates.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The car has false numberplates to conceal its true identity.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26That second numberplate, that could be...
0:21:26 > 0:21:29That could be a fake one on top, it could be a clone.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Look at these guys.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33There's definitely something going on down here.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I think we should leave.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45The undercover team spent two weeks staking out this area.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48There was no sign of the thief, even though his car was still here
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and there were plenty of other activities going on.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56What they did notice was that his vehicle was bearing false plates.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59They were stuck over to conceal what was underneath.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01There is no good reason for a vehicle
0:22:01 > 0:22:04to conceal its true identity.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07With the tracker signal having gone dead and no sign of the thief,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10the undercover team sadly had to call it a day.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14We couldn't find the thief, but maybe the police can.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15We're more than happy for them to have
0:22:15 > 0:22:19a look at our unblurred footage of the laptop snatcher in action.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Motorbike theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32up 44% in the last few years.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Highly organised gangs are stealing motorcycles to sell them on
0:22:35 > 0:22:37or strip down for parts,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40even putting the stolen parts together in illegal chop shops
0:22:40 > 0:22:43to make a different bike altogether.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45But cutting-edge technology is being used
0:22:45 > 0:22:48to fight back against the thieves.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50A security scheme known as MASTER -
0:22:50 > 0:22:53the Motorcycle And Scooter Tagged Equipment Register -
0:22:53 > 0:22:56was launched with the backing of the police.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Individual parts of a motorbike are now marked using ultraviolet etching
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and radio frequency identity tags.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07This means every part of a motorbike contains a unique code,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10which can track it back to the legal owner
0:23:10 > 0:23:13to hopefully clamp down on thieves selling bikes made from
0:23:13 > 0:23:16stolen parts to unsuspecting innocent victims.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I've always wanted an R6. It was a dream bike of mine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I'd found the bike on Gumtree, a Gumtree app.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I'd messaged the bloke, travelled down on the weekend, saw the bike.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I took it out for a test drive.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The paperwork seemed legit, the bike seemed legit.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I purchased it there and then and brought it back home.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It was the perfect bike for me at the time.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57It was the one I've always wanted, so I was lucky to get it first time.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58So I thought.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I went to Brands Hatch racetrack in October 2015.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08I went to watch British Superbikes racing.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I took the girlfriend with me. It was a nice day out.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I first found out there was something wrong with the bike
0:24:13 > 0:24:14at the track.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Hello.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17'I got a phone call from my insurance company.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20They told me to go back to my bike as they knew I was at Brands Hatch.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I was kind of confused at the time. I didn't know what was going on.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24OK, I'll be there in a minute.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26'I've gone back to the bike, it's been pulled forward.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The police are around it, Datatag are around the bike as well.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I honestly had no idea what was going on at the time.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38The security company who run the nationwide bike tagging scheme
0:24:38 > 0:24:40were scanning for stolen bikes and parts.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43We came across Kurt's bike and scanned it as a matter of course.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45There was no outward identifiers, as I say,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48it had got the MASTER scheme on,
0:24:48 > 0:24:54but it was in the vulnerable age range of bikes, so 2005 to 2010.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Bikes manufactured in this period didn't have security markings
0:24:57 > 0:25:00on them, which is why they're more likely to be stolen,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and which is why Kurt's bike set alarm bells ringing.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The police managed to contact Kurt, who was with his girlfriend
0:25:07 > 0:25:12watching the racing at Brands Hatch, and ruined his day, really.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15The police told me that the bike had stolen parts on it -
0:25:15 > 0:25:20the engine, the seat and the mirrors itself were from a different bike.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Technology allowed us to track those parts back to
0:25:26 > 0:25:28an original stolen Yamaha R6,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32which had been the donor bike for the clone bike that Kurt
0:25:32 > 0:25:35ended up buying, so when he came in and bought his motorcycle,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39he was actually buying two bikes - one stolen, one not.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Unfortunately, when the investigations came to an end,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45it transpired that the only thing that poor, old Kurt actually owned
0:25:45 > 0:25:47was a frame.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I was angry. I didn't know what to say.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54I had no idea of the problem at the time. I had no...
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I was completely unaware.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Never knew anything like this was going to happen.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I was told by the police that I could take the bike,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05but if I signed a declaration, I couldn't change any parts on it,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I couldn't sell it and I couldn't break it.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I was under investigation from the police,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14I could have been fined, sentenced, I don't know.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16He was genuinely, genuinely shocked.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20You know, his first big bike, he'd saved up hard to buy it,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22he was very proud of it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25You know, everybody recognised very quickly that
0:26:25 > 0:26:30he was the innocent victim of a scam and a scam that is all too common.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Owning a stolen bike had knock-on effects.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39I was worried, cos I had to ride it back.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I didn't know if anything was going to go wrong,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44whether it was going to fail, whether it was going to fall apart.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46I had the girlfriend on the back, which was worse.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48The risk was higher.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50This bike had been built by a thief.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52He was quite worried that potentially
0:26:52 > 0:26:55he and his girlfriend were riding home on a deathtrap.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57When these bikes are put together as cloned vehicles,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02the people building them are not mechanics, they're bike thieves.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05You know, would you trust a bike thief to build your bike?
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Kurt was left in limbo while the investigation carried on.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09It was several weeks before the police
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and insurance companies came to a decision.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I was in contact with the police for possibly five to six weeks,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18maybe longer, constantly e-mailing each other.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I had a police officer come round to check the bike itself.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It was quickly established that he was innocent,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26he had bought it in good faith, he'd done as much as he could,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29reasonably, to check that it was stolen.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Kurt kept his pride and joy, but it's never felt quite the same.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I was happy when I got told I could keep the bike,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39but I wasn't 100% with the bike itself in the end.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44I was more worried about the safety of it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46I've ridden it three times over the last five months.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I haven't wanted to ride it as much. The love's gone.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I feel unsafe sometimes on it. Insecure.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57The experience has definitely ruined that bike for me.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I do want another bike, I do love bikes, but the R6 is now ruined.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I think Kurt's experience does highlight to anybody looking
0:28:06 > 0:28:09to buy a used bike that it is a bit of a minefield.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12You need to check everything you possibly can -
0:28:12 > 0:28:15engine number, frame number, registration number, HPI check,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17and make sure they all match.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18If they don't, walk away.