0:00:02 > 0:00:04Bag snatchers, robberies and street crime.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06According to the latest police figures,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10more than 3,500 incidents of theft are reported every day in the UK.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Tens of thousands of pounds worth of gold jewellery had been taken.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16The victim was devastated.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Hiding trackers inside items like cameras,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31smartphones and bicycles to trace their every move.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33The thieves think they've got away with it.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But we've 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.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50And uncover the unseen journey that
0:00:50 > 0:00:53our possessions take when they're stolen.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Today the Thief Trackers are on the trail of stolen charity bags...
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Stand by.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11She's taken it.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..tracking down the thieves as they escape with donations
0:01:14 > 0:01:16meant for the needy.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Plus, investigators are on the trail of stolen plant machinery.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29The value was about £68,000.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30No-one knew where they were going.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34It's a race against time as it heads halfway across Europe.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36As it started to go through Germany,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39we realised that it was likely to go to Poland and that then it was
0:01:39 > 0:01:43likely to go through the Ukraine and the Ukraine at that time was
0:01:43 > 0:01:46involved in a civil war and it was a red line for us.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And GPS technology helps track a burglar's footsteps.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53There was quite a lot of excitement when we looked at
0:01:53 > 0:01:55the tracker-tagged data. His tag put him at the exact location.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Many people are under the impression that taking donations from outside
0:02:06 > 0:02:08charity shops is perfectly legal.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10But it's not.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14In the last few years, all the major charities have been hit hard.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Donations are down and the loss of revenue through theft is an
0:02:18 > 0:02:20estimated £15 million.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23It's a crime that shocks the public.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I think if it's left outside a charity shop,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27it's there to benefit someone else.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29People steal them to make a profit.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Because obviously it's money for a good cause and people taking
0:02:32 > 0:02:34advantage of that and taking it for themself.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's wrong, isn't it? Just because someone has dropped something on the
0:02:37 > 0:02:39pavement doesn't mean you can steal it.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41People assume that it is the needy
0:02:41 > 0:02:44that are stealing but often these days, it's just the greedy.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Scumbags!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49There isn't any better word than that, is there?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Helping the Thief Trackers with our investigation is our specialist
0:02:58 > 0:03:00crime adviser, Alex Stewart.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06both on patrol and as an undercover officer in his time on the force
0:03:06 > 0:03:08with the Metropolitan Police.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11From theft to drugs to violent crime,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13he's seen what life is like on the streets.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20You would think that donations left outside charity shops would be safe
0:03:20 > 0:03:22from theft but you would be wrong.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Unfortunately, things have got so bad recently that many charity shops
0:03:26 > 0:03:29are asking us not to leave donations outside.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Affluent areas like this are rich targets for those who would steal
0:03:32 > 0:03:36from the needy to line their own pockets and to show you how bad
0:03:36 > 0:03:38things have got, we've left some of
0:03:38 > 0:03:41our own donations outside some charity shops.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47We've hidden GPS trackers in some bags of charity donations.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49We won't tell you where, that would give the game away.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54If the bags are stolen, we can follow the signal on a smartphone
0:03:54 > 0:03:56or tablet and track down the thieves.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Following their every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team who
0:04:03 > 0:04:06will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10For their safety, you won't see them but you'll hear their voices.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Keep your camera on these guys.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The team set up their stakeout outside a charity shop raising money
0:04:25 > 0:04:27for hospice care, the dying.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32One of the team drops off our charity bags on the shop's doorstep
0:04:32 > 0:04:35after closing time, just like a lot of us do.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Legally, these donations are still the property of the owner until the
0:04:40 > 0:04:42charity shop takes them in.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45The tracker hidden in the bag is live.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Time to watch and wait.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08There are a few people walking by, window shopping.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10They wouldn't dream of stealing from those in need.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20The team have been here for around an hour and so far, it's been quiet.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Here we go.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27You two stand by.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29She's taken it.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Quick, quick, quick, quick.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38The tracker team split up to try and catch up with the woman.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42One person follows in the car whilst two set off on foot in case she goes
0:05:42 > 0:05:43through the back alley.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46A lady on a bike has just taken the item.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48CAR HORN TOOTS
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Jump in! Wearing a hi-vis yellow vest.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Trying to track her down. She's very fast. Quick, quick, quick, quick.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And we're in pursuit.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02The thief is peddling so fast that one of the team jumps into a car,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04leaving only one of the team on foot to track the woman.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06We're stuck in traffic now.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09A good chance we're going to miss her.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12But the thief tracker on foot hasn't given up.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16He's got a strong signal and the bag snatcher is just around the corner.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21As he is not the police,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24he cannot accuse her of stealing but he can ask her why she took the
0:06:24 > 0:06:26charity bag.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Realising that she has been spotted taking the bag and being followed,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36the thief has sped away.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38The tracker hasn't moved.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Still got an eyeball on her?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I just saw her. She ignored me.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I said, "Excuse me." She literally laughed and cycled off.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Even with no signal to follow,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55the team are not going to give in and still try to find her.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56She went straight down, right?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00But she came out on the left here.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- Yeah.- She saw me.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I think the bag might be down there somewhere.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06She might've dumped it, she didn't have it on her.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- I lost her. I ran after her but I couldn't keep up.- OK.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11But she definitely saw me and she definitely knew.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I tried to stop her. I think she must have known because I said,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17"Excuse me, excuse me." She must've heard me.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19But she didn't stop. She rode right past me.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23She looked me right in the eye, smiled a bit and kept on going.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28She's taken something from a charity shop on her bike.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32She doesn't even look in the bag, just picked it up and walked off
0:07:32 > 0:07:35with it and then when you followed her, she's realised she is in
0:07:35 > 0:07:38the wrong, she's spotted you and she's dumped it.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Keep your eyes open.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51The thief trackers comb the streets, trying to find the woman,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54but with no tracker to follow, it's becoming futile.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56I think we've lost her.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I think we've probably lost her.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03They've done all they can and the
0:08:03 > 0:08:05only thing they can do is go back and retrieve the bag.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19OK, let's get the bag back.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22They got the bag back and although the woman on the bike got away,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26what she did was illegal and could be reported to the police.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28But perhaps after watching this footage,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30she'll think twice about stealing from charity again.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Later, the Thief Trackers come face-to-face with more charity thieves.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37You'll put it back?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40But it's for a charity shop.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41OK.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54The UK construction industry continues to be a target for organised gangs
0:08:54 > 0:09:00with a staggering £70 million worth of plant machinery stolen in 2015.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But it's not just small, easy-to-move equipment that is snatched.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Thieves will drive off with huge machines, like the telescopic
0:09:08 > 0:09:11handlers that can weigh up to ten tonnes.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15To combat this crimewave,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18companies turn to trackers to try and protect their investments.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24CanTrack provide tracking equipment for everything from small cars up to
0:09:24 > 0:09:27large construction equipment, trailers, trucks.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30To help protect these machines, like many tracking firms,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34they recruit highly experienced and specialised ex-police officers.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Mick is one of our investigators who is an ex-police officer.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42We typically look for that within the people that join the investigations team.
0:09:42 > 0:09:4530-year retired officer, brings a wealth of experience.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49He's an ex-CID man so he is methodical, he's got an eye for detail.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I joined South Yorkshire Police in 1983 and then in 2000,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I joined the traffic department, as it was then.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It was through that that I met John.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03John Mussett is the other member of the team.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06I was a police officer with South Yorkshire Police for 30 years.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10The majority of that was working in the traffic department.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I was involved in a small team which South Yorkshire put together
0:10:14 > 0:10:18specifically looking at stolen plant machinery so I had an ideal
0:10:18 > 0:10:19background really to go into the
0:10:19 > 0:10:23tracking side of things, which I have been doing since I retired.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28People steal plant machinery for money.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They would steal them and export them.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35They are very valuable. They can get a lot of money for them.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41During a spate of plant machinery theft, a telescopic handler,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45worth around £70,000, was stolen in the Hampshire area.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49The machine was fitted with a tracker so the client called
0:10:49 > 0:10:51the specialist team into action.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58The customer rang me out of hours, about eight in the morning,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02to report it had gone overnight from a site down in Hampshire.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05The tracker initially, when we got the call,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09had given a location on the site the previous evening and then we heard
0:11:09 > 0:11:13nothing from it. It tries to get on the network every four hours and on
0:11:13 > 0:11:16this occasion, unfortunately, we got nothing for days.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21I think it was off the network for at least a week, maybe ten days.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25So we were thinking that it was possible the tracker had been found.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32These machines, and there were a lot of them, were just disappearing.
0:11:32 > 0:11:39I think its value was about £68,000, which is a lot of money to anyone.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41No-one knew where they were going, what was happening to them,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44they were literally disappearing off the face of the earth.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48So we were just thinking, where has it gone,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52are we going to hear from it again? Then suddenly the trackers woke up.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It would appear it was still on the machine.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The location it was giving was in the middle of France...
0:11:58 > 0:12:01heading eastwards on one of the main motorways.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I think it was very clear to us it was on the back of a lorry.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08We could determine that from the speed and the amount of distance
0:12:08 > 0:12:11that was occurring between the updates that we were receiving
0:12:11 > 0:12:13from the vehicle and because of the size of the machine,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16there's only a few different things that can actually transport that.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So, whilst it was a surprise to us to see the unit pop up in France,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24because most of our thefts are dealt with on UK soil,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26we were very quick to activate and react.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31As it started to go through Germany and we realised that it was likely
0:12:31 > 0:12:35to go to Poland and if it went to Poland, it was likely to go down and
0:12:35 > 0:12:37through the Ukraine which is an established route.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Ukraine at that time was involved
0:12:39 > 0:12:42in a civil war and it was a red line for us.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49We had liaised with the customer.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51They wanted us to go and find it.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55With information that we'd got from the Metropolitan Police Plant Unit,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59we knew that a lot of these machines were heading into Eastern Europe.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03We knew we had a race basically to try and get someone out in front of
0:13:03 > 0:13:08the machine if we could, then try and track it and guide the local police onto it.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14My instructions were to go home and start packing a bag for potentially
0:13:14 > 0:13:18getting on the first available flight to get out to Poland
0:13:18 > 0:13:20because this thing was obviously moving.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24It was a bit of a rush from then on.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30There's two ways we could have approached this so we could have put
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Mick a long way ahead of the expected route,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35but if it had diverted into a different route,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37we would've been really out of position.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40So, we're getting updates that are coming through every now and again
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and literally, you blink,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and it has appeared on another part of the map and you have to deal with
0:13:45 > 0:13:47that real-time updated information.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53It became quite obvious that it was heading into Poland so Mick flew out
0:13:53 > 0:13:56to Warsaw on Friday, late on,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and I was basically in the back office with him,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02watching where the tracking unit was showing up,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06contacting Mick on his mobile and letting him know where the search area was.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08I eventually landed in Warsaw at 8:00 at night.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11I found my hire car and the first
0:14:11 > 0:14:16message I got was that it was about an hour and a half south of Warsaw.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Unfortunately, by the time he got there, the machine was level with
0:14:22 > 0:14:24him, south of Warsaw on the motorway near a town called
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Radon or Radom.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32It took me about an hour and a half to get down to Radom.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35John had told me that the machine had stopped talking to us again.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40So we didn't have an up-to-date location in the last hour.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Basically, I had to go to where it last spoke to us and said it was,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48so I had a look around and I had an hour of searching,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52trying to pick up a signal from the RF receiver that's in the machine.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56As the GPS signal had stopped working,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00they reverted to the radio-frequency signal, known as RF.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I couldn't find anything and by this time, it's 11:30, at which time,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06I was told, try and find yourself a hotel.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I eventually found a hotel and the night porter didn't speak any
0:15:11 > 0:15:16English, so we were actually conversing through his computer in Google Translate.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21So he took me to the local cash machine,
0:15:21 > 0:15:26paid for my room and managed to get to bed that night about 12:30 or 1:00 at night.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35The next morning, the tracker signal wasn't moving.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39We kind of guessed that the lorry driver was probably having his break
0:15:39 > 0:15:40so we'd anchored the machine so when
0:15:40 > 0:15:44it next woke up and came into signal, it would ping an alert.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46It did that on the Saturday morning to me.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I got back in touch with Mick and the machine was about an hour
0:15:52 > 0:15:56in front of him - heading eastwards towards the Ukraine border.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02John rang me saying it had switched on and was driving out of Radom,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05heading onto the E12.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09So I had to quickly gather all my things together and
0:16:09 > 0:16:14into the car and all the time John is directing me.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15The most I had was the sat nav.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19I was putting various locations in as he was telling me where to head.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25He was also trying to give me some shortcuts because obviously the lorry couldn't take minor roads.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28It had to follow the main roads.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The point where Mick actually caught up with it was a really tense time
0:16:35 > 0:16:38for us. This unit was getting ping by ping by ping closer to
0:16:38 > 0:16:41the Ukraine border. Remember, that's our red line.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44We don't go there. We cannot safely enter the territory and we wouldn't
0:16:44 > 0:16:47dream of asking Mick to go in there, so we've got this one opportunity
0:16:47 > 0:16:51which is the border between Poland and Ukraine and the unit was heading
0:16:51 > 0:16:52for it minute by minute.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54We had made contact with The Met Police,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56the specialist in plant theft,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00and they were liaising with the Polish police on our behalf to try
0:17:00 > 0:17:03and give me some contacts because obviously if I find,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05or when I find the machine,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I'm going to need some help from the police because if there's people
0:17:08 > 0:17:11there, they'll need arresting and just the simple recovery of the
0:17:11 > 0:17:13machine in itself needs police assistance.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17When you're working in another country,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20you can't just pick up the phone and call the local police number.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22There are channels that we have to work through.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26There's official and unofficial channels that can be utilised
0:17:26 > 0:17:28and it's logistically very,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30very difficult and you need to make
0:17:30 > 0:17:32sure that you make the right phone call at the right time.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37John was telling me that on the night, I was getting very,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39very close to it so I was within four or five minutes of it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I started picking up a signal.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I knew I was getting close. Obviously I didn't know what vehicle
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I was looking for, or anything like that. I knew the machine I was
0:17:49 > 0:17:52looking for but not what lorry I was looking for.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So, the adrenaline got going.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00That was when I started to think, if I actually find this lorry,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04what am I going to do? How am I going to stop it?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Am I going to drive in front of it and try and pull it over or what?
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I was trying to think, this is going to be getting interesting!
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I was just getting very, very close when John rang me and said
0:18:19 > 0:18:22the information was that the Polish police had actually stopped a lorry
0:18:22 > 0:18:24with a machine in.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Just as he said that, I came upon these two unmarked
0:18:28 > 0:18:31police cars parked at the side of the road and my signalling device
0:18:31 > 0:18:33was going absolutely berserk,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36so I pulled up at the side of them, met them.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39We opened the back of the lorry and sure enough,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41in the back of it was this machine.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44What I didn't realise was,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48we were only 50 kilometres from the Ukraine border and that this machine
0:18:48 > 0:18:51was actually heading into Ukraine and I wouldn't've been able to
0:18:51 > 0:18:53follow it if it had got to Ukraine
0:18:53 > 0:18:56because my car insurance wouldn't have allowed me to go there!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59But thankfully, we got it stopped.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09This recovery had a great effect on thefts that were occurring in the
0:19:09 > 0:19:10North Hampshire, Surrey area.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14As soon as this one was stopped, it literally put an end to it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19We spent over two days playing this game of chess with these guys.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22They were literally that close to
0:19:22 > 0:19:25getting over the line and getting away with that theft and we stopped
0:19:25 > 0:19:28them and pulled them back at the last minute so the message
0:19:28 > 0:19:31is loud and clear - you can steal it in the UK but we will follow you to
0:19:31 > 0:19:34the ends of the earth to get that kit back and we did it.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Earlier on, we left a bag of donations outside a hospice charity
0:19:44 > 0:19:46shop which raises money for the dying.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We left it when they had closed for the evening,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54as many of us do when we can't get there during the day.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The bag was clearly marked that it was a donation.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02It wasn't long before someone stole our bag, which is illegal,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05unaware there was a tracker hidden inside.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11As soon as the thief realised we were on her trail asking questions...
0:20:13 > 0:20:14..she dumped it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21To prove just how widespread the problem is, the same night,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25we put another bag with a tracker in it outside a different charity shop.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27This time, one raising funds for cancer.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33We'll see if anyone else wants to help themselves to donations that
0:20:33 > 0:20:35are meant to help those in society who need it most.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The Thief Trackers team have set up the cameras.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Time to watch and wait.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Five minutes later and another cyclist is showing interest.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50This time, it's a man.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51He's going to go for it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55It's gone.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Quick, quick, quick, quick.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The tracker is on the move and shows the route the man is taking so
0:21:03 > 0:21:06the team set off in hot pursuit.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25The cyclist is aware of the Thief Trackers on his tail,
0:21:25 > 0:21:26but he doesn't stop.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30They can't accuse him of theft as they're not the police.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They can ask him why he has taken it.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Sorry, mate.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Eventually, the man with the bike decides to stop.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51We just dropped it out there.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Yes, but it's for a charity shop.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03You'll put it back?
0:22:04 > 0:22:05But it's for a charity shop.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Where are you taking it?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16We just left it there.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- OK, you put it there. - OK. No worries.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30The man says he was taking the bag to his home and
0:22:30 > 0:22:32bringing it back into the shop in the morning.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Whatever has happened in this case, one thing is certain,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41anyone who takes a charity bag from outside a charity shop and has no
0:22:41 > 0:22:45intention of giving it back is committing a crime and it's not a
0:22:45 > 0:22:47victimless crime.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Taking money from those that need it.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Reading in Berkshire is a vibrant commercial town in the south-west of England.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04An urban area with a diverse population and like any town,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06it has its crime hot spots.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Reading itself is an incredibly busy town.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11It's got a very diverse population.
0:23:11 > 0:23:17The area of Newtown itself is quite heavily populated by Asian families
0:23:17 > 0:23:21and also by students from the nearby Reading University.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27We do get quite a lot of burglaries in the Newtown area.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It does tend to go in phases,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31so we have a series of them happening and then for a while,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33it tends to quieten down a bit.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37I enjoy the challenge of investigating burglaries because
0:23:37 > 0:23:39they're very difficult to prove.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Her tracking skills were soon put to the test with another break-in.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49It happened at a terraced house
0:23:49 > 0:23:52during the day.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58The family were out
0:23:58 > 0:24:00at a family celebration.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07The offender got into this particular property at the rear of the premises.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12The family had left an upstairs window very slightly ajar to allow
0:24:12 > 0:24:14air to circulate in the house.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19He had entered their back garden and climbed onto a flat roof and he let
0:24:19 > 0:24:21himself in through the rear window
0:24:21 > 0:24:24of the house whilst the family weren't at home.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29On this occasion, he has only taken the Asian gold jewellery and also
0:24:29 > 0:24:31items of currency.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33They were easy to carry,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37it's the kind of items that can be put into a pocket or a small bag.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I don't think he was in the house for a significant period of time.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I think he was only inside for a few minutes before he's left again.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Of course, he doesn't want to be caught, should anybody come home,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50so the idea is to get in and get out as quickly as possible.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The victim was obviously quite devastated about it because
0:24:59 > 0:25:01the items that were taken were very personal to them.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04They were family heirlooms and had been in the families for generations
0:25:04 > 0:25:06upon generations.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09So I believe he actually felt almost quite responsible for the fact that
0:25:09 > 0:25:13whilst he'd been effectively looking after it for his family,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15it had been taken from him.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The first place the police looked was the database of usual suspects,
0:25:21 > 0:25:26some of whom were wearing GPS tracker tags, which record their every movement.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29The idea behind the GPS tracker tags is actually to stop
0:25:29 > 0:25:31offences occurring.
0:25:31 > 0:25:37We use it in order to actually monitor prolific offenders.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41They wear them to stop us from going round to see them quite so often.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45By wearing it, they can effectively get on with their lives,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47safe in the knowledge that we are not going to turn up to say hello at
0:25:47 > 0:25:493:00 in the morning.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54Unbelievably, one of these tag-wearing criminals hadn't quite
0:25:54 > 0:25:57grasped the concept of tracking technology.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59When we looked at this particular suspect,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01we could see that during the period
0:26:01 > 0:26:05when the burglary could have occurred, his GPS tracker tag put
0:26:05 > 0:26:08him at the exact offence location.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12He was previously known to us for having committed burglary offences.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15There was obviously quite a lot of excitement when we looked at the
0:26:15 > 0:26:19tracker tag data and knew we had enough evidence there to arrest him
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and charge him with the offence.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27We went to an address that we know he is often at and he was present
0:26:27 > 0:26:31there. He was with his girlfriend so we arrested him for the offence of
0:26:31 > 0:26:37burglary and we searched the room that he was in and we in fact found
0:26:37 > 0:26:40some of the currency that he had stolen.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44It was very unique currency and was made up of about five or six
0:26:44 > 0:26:49different countries' currencies so it was quite unique denominations.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So whilst currency in itself isn't particularly unique,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56the make-up of what was present was also particularly useful for us in
0:26:56 > 0:27:00terms of proving that he had actually committed the offence.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I actually anticipated that he would have admitted the offence,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08given that the GPS tracker-tag data from the tag on his ankle actually
0:27:08 > 0:27:11put him at the offence location but surprisingly,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13he carried on denying the offence
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and even entered a not guilty plea in court.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21When he was interviewed in police custody,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25he actually claimed that he was simply in the area because he was
0:27:25 > 0:27:28visiting a friend in the very next door property.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It was a particularly easy case but it was overwhelming evidence and we
0:27:33 > 0:27:37were able to convince a jury that he had committed the offence and as a
0:27:37 > 0:27:41result of doing it, he received a hefty prison sentence of four years.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Unfortunately, although they solved the case,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53they didn't find the family's jewellery and it remains missing.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56We will not give up on investigating burglaries simply because of how
0:27:56 > 0:27:58intrusive the crimes are.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01The message to thieves is basically,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04we will hunt you down and we will find you for it.