0:00:02 > 0:00:07This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16This is about a manipulation of people who can't get money anywhere
0:00:16 > 0:00:21else, who can't go out to a bank or building society and
0:00:21 > 0:00:23get a legitimate loan.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26So, they are going to the loan shark,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30the unlicensed lender, and the lenders are taking advantage
0:00:30 > 0:00:33of these people. It becomes a never-ending debt,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37until something happens where that cycle gets broken.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40More and more people are turning to loan sharks...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42A crackdown's been promised on loan sharks...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45..with exorbitant rates of interest and threats of violence
0:00:45 > 0:00:46if they don't pay up.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49..lent the family £500 and then forced them to repay £88,000.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53..extortionate interest rates, threats and violence.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Moneylending is big news and big business.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The current public demand for quick cash has seen the dramatic rise
0:01:00 > 0:01:02of high street moneylenders,
0:01:02 > 0:01:07but away from the high street lie the unscrupulous loan sharks.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Their loans are far from cheap and are costing people dearly.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13They're in your pubs, your betting offices.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15They wait at the school gates.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Sometimes people are struggling that much that they have to turn to them.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But who are they?
0:01:21 > 0:01:24'I'm going to make fucking sure you fucking pay me.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:26How do they operate?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30People have been kidnapped off the street and then tortured.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31What is the human cost?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I've thought about jumping off of road bridges.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36The easiest thing to do is end your life.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38And what can be done to stop it?
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Can we come inside your house, please?
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Supported by the police on the front line of the battle to take down
0:01:43 > 0:01:47illegal moneylenders is a small, national, dedicated unit,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50called the England Illegal Money Lending Team.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Jacqui Kennedy has been with Birmingham City Council all her working life.
0:02:07 > 0:02:1112 years ago, she was convinced that loan sharks were plaguing vulnerable
0:02:11 > 0:02:15communities in her home city, so she set out to build a team within
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Trading Standards with a simple mission.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19The objectives were clear, really -
0:02:19 > 0:02:22find out if there are any loan sharks out there,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and if there are any, prosecute them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The team highlighted such a widespread problem that the project
0:02:28 > 0:02:30has since gone national.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I think there's a misconception about what loan sharks are.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34They're not your payday lenders.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36They're not your high-interest lenders.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38They're people who are completely unregulated.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41They'll lend you money, but you don't have any paperwork.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43You don't necessarily...you won't even know how much you have
0:02:43 > 0:02:45to pay back and they can't get the
0:02:45 > 0:02:48money back from you through legal means and that's where it all goes
0:02:48 > 0:02:53wrong. That is where they just use intimidation, violence, threats,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55whatever it takes to get the money back.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00If you've got no help anywhere else,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I think loan sharks do provide a service.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06At the end of the day, people around here borrow money because they're
0:03:06 > 0:03:09desperate for it. Some might borrow for their next meal.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12If you've got kids and you didn't get paid one day from the Jobcentre
0:03:12 > 0:03:14cos they didn't pay you or something,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17how else are you going to feed your kids?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Not a normal person like us. We can't get a loan from the bank.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Do you know what I mean?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It's quite easy to find a loan shark anywhere,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27especially on estates like this.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Go into the pubs and they'll be over to you,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33practically pushing the money into your hand.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I think a lot of people don't tell people that they're involved in a
0:03:35 > 0:03:40loan shark because of the fear of what they could do to you and your family.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46The name "loan shark" has been bandied about willy-nilly and it may
0:03:46 > 0:03:50detract from the sort of people that are here displayed on the board
0:03:50 > 0:03:53behind me because THESE are loan sharks.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56They're not a community service.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58They're thugs and criminals.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'You've got till 12 o'clock, otherwise, girls,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04'them fucking fellas are coming through your fucking door!'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08This is where we put evidence.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11These are some of the tools of the trade, if you like,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14that we've seen in previous cases.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Parsons, Weaver, Weaver and Young was a gang that tended to prey on
0:04:19 > 0:04:21young women, single mums.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24They would send you a text saying, "If you don't pay, I'll end you."
0:04:24 > 0:04:26"If you don't pay, I'll snap your jaw."
0:04:26 > 0:04:28"One, two, Money's coming for you."
0:04:28 > 0:04:29That's a threat.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32You receive that sort of message on your mobile phone,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34that would frighten you to death.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38It's all about, you know, portraying to everybody in that community,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41"You just don't mess with me, and if you do mess with me,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42"there's going to be trouble."
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Mother of three Carol Highton paid the ultimate price
0:04:50 > 0:04:54when her son Brian got involved with a predatory loan shark,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57who had over 1,200 customers on his books.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Today, what I want to do is actually share a story and it is a very sad
0:05:01 > 0:05:06story and it's a very real, true story that happened to my family.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09My son told us about a friend of his.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Now, this friend was in debt.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14He'd borrowed £300 off a loan shark.
0:05:14 > 0:05:22In the space of a few weeks, it had gone right up to £3,400
0:05:22 > 0:05:23and there were threats being made.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The threats were that they were going to rape
0:05:26 > 0:05:27this young man's sister,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29they were going to shoot his mum,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they were going to go through his home.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I did ask, "Did he go to the police?"
0:05:33 > 0:05:38And Brian, being Brian, said, "You don't go the bizzies, Mam.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39"It makes things much worse.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42"You don't know what you're talking about."
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Well, then, when I think back, I realised.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Brian wasn't talking about no friend of his.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49He was talking about himself.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51On 3rd December,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I never could have imagined that I was going to walk into my home
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and find what we did.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03I went up the stairs and just seen my son and he was in...
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I got to the top of the landing and there's my son,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11hanging from a belt from the attic in my bathroom.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Just...
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Oh...
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Just... Oh, God.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Never in a million years would my big, strong, handsome,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29caring boy have just taken his life willy-nilly like that.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33And what he must have been is scared for his family,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36cos the threats which were made were very real indeed.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Paul Nicholson saw himself as the most powerful guy on the estate and
0:06:43 > 0:06:46a whole community couldn't breathe because of it.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49He's serving a sentence, for the protection of the public,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51an indefinite sentence.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54We estimated he made about £4.8 million.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59He was living this footballer's lifestyle.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03That was all on the backs of people who could least afford it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06He had a number of collectors that used to collect the money each week,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08but he would go and enforce the debt.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13He went as far as to rape somebody and that was for a small debt.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18Brian took his life just six weeks after taking the loan from Nicholson.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Afterwards, Carol became one of the team's most powerful advocates.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25She works tirelessly to spread the message in her local community,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29encouraging others to come forward and share their stories.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33I do what I do because I'm not afraid of these people.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38The reason I'm not afraid is they've done the worst thing already to me.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41There's nothing else that can touch me.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46I've had families sat in front of me pouring their hearts out,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48telling me what they've done to them, you know,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50beating them up or following them.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53A two-year-old child dangled over a balcony.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55You've got something like that happening to you,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57you're not going to put a foot wrong.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00You're going to do whatever they ask you to do.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01This problem is massive.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03It's everywhere.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Today, the team is in Stoke, where, last year,
0:08:12 > 0:08:1510,000 people turned to food banks to feed their families.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21This level of desperation makes people easy prey for loan sharks.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23The investigators are working with the local police force
0:08:23 > 0:08:26to serve a warrant to raid a
0:08:26 > 0:08:27suspected loan shark's house,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30who targets taxi drivers.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It's suspected that he goes around in a black cab Hackney carriage
0:08:33 > 0:08:36collecting from his various borrowers.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Now, the informant's told us that he carries an iron bar down the side of
0:08:40 > 0:08:41the seat should it need to be used,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44but he's not indicated that it's been kind of shown to him
0:08:44 > 0:08:45or anything else.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49The team faces possible reprisals from the criminals they put away,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52so their identities need to remain secret.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So, this is a crucial moment now and fundamental to the success of the
0:08:56 > 0:08:58operation in how we approach this.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03It's about establishing control and locking down those premises
0:09:03 > 0:09:06as quickly and efficiently and quietly as possible.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10We will ask key questions in that early stage of taking control,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13about where are your mobile phones, we want PIN numbers.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17If there's any significant amounts of cash located on the premises
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and the police and our embedded officers and the lead officer will
0:09:21 > 0:09:24be generally getting the house and immediate location under control,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28obviously without trying to attract too much attention from other people.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Here we go.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Morning. Hiya, is it Abdul?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Er, no.- No? Can I come inside? I'm from the police, mate.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I'm from the National Illegal Money Lending Team.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49- OK?- Yes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Basically, we've had an allegation that you've been lending money out
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and collecting it back with interest,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57so we've got a warrant to search the premises today.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58OK?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01So, what's going to happen is I'm arresting you on suspicion of
0:10:01 > 0:10:03illegal moneylending and money laundering.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do
0:10:06 > 0:10:09not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand that?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The suspect is in no doubt or misunderstanding about the fact
0:10:14 > 0:10:15he is under arrest.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18His liberty's been taken away and he'll be detained in custody to go
0:10:18 > 0:10:22through the interview process later on today and I am pretty confident
0:10:22 > 0:10:25that we'll release him on bail pending further inquiries,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27which is the normal procedure we would follow.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35This is the entry video for Operation Unimac.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39What we now do is we ensure that we video the property.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41That is for a number of reasons.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44One is about the security of my staff in terms of
0:10:44 > 0:10:48any future allegations of damage or theft or anything like that,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50which has happened in the past,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53but also, importantly, to secure a visual image for the court,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57should we end up prosecuting this person and we would do what we call
0:10:57 > 0:11:00a "video of significant find" if that's the case -
0:11:00 > 0:11:03cash under floorboards, tucked away in cupboards,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05phones or SIM cards that may be hidden.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Part of that process is we number all of the rooms and locations in the premises.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Room ten.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16In a jacket
0:11:16 > 0:11:17inside pocket...
0:11:20 > 0:11:22..there's an envelope...
0:11:23 > 0:11:24..and there is...
0:11:25 > 0:11:26..cash inside.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32We are finding significant amounts of cash secreted in jacket pockets
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and so forth in one of the bedrooms,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38predominantly in large bundles of £50 notes and £20 notes,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42which is quite significant to us, as it's an early, strong indication
0:11:42 > 0:11:45that it's the profit from some other activity -
0:11:45 > 0:11:47we suspect providing unlicensed loans.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Inside the pockets and we have got two wads of cash.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We never count it at the premises.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It's always double-bagged and sealed
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and then is counted under video conditions.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01About 7,000.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05One of the most important things is to secure the mobile phones.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08People will do things like eating their SIM cards
0:12:08 > 0:12:10or just trying to throw them away.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Down there is a bank bag with £20 notes and other notes inside.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Bearing in mind, this man,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27there's evidence in this house that he hasn't paid any of his standard
0:12:27 > 0:12:30bills that we're all expected to pay and he's receiving additional
0:12:30 > 0:12:33benefits, you wouldn't expect to find multi-thousand pounds
0:12:33 > 0:12:36tucked away in clothing in the bedroom or stuffed down
0:12:36 > 0:12:38the side of the settee.
0:12:38 > 0:12:39It's just not normal.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41More cash there, mate.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45Right, we've got wage slips there.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50He's earning £97.28 a week.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53I'll bet!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And he's got about ten grand in his house.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57That's fantastic savings, isn't it?
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Wish I was that good with money.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01How many other people around here have got ten grand stuffed away
0:13:01 > 0:13:03in their bedrooms and what have you?
0:13:03 > 0:13:04Not many.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I would like to think that the public think we are providing
0:13:08 > 0:13:09a positive and worthwhile service.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13One thing that does bug people are other people who make good,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16ready cash and don't pay their bills like everybody else has to do.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19The public will say, "Right, well, that's a good service.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23"If they're making people face up to the reality like I'm having to do,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26"then that's a good thing because we're all in it together
0:13:26 > 0:13:28"at the moment, aren't we, as a nation."
0:13:30 > 0:13:34The team has brought so many violent criminals to justice that they need
0:13:34 > 0:13:37to operate from a hidden location in Birmingham.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Their work even remains a secret to the other tenants
0:13:39 > 0:13:41who share their building.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Loan shark team, Jenny Cook speaking. How may I help you?
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Morning, everybody.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Morning, boss. How are you?
0:13:50 > 0:13:51The day begins...
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Tony has led the team since it started.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00His daily challenge is to manage the department's limited resources at a
0:14:00 > 0:14:02time when the scale of the problem is increasing.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I've got 60 officers to cover the whole of England.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10That includes my support team, you know, my administration,
0:14:10 > 0:14:15my investigators and my liaise team and it's not a huge amount.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So, what are the nature of the threats, then?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Have we got evidence to say the threats aren't just verbal,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21there is actual substance behind them?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The officers are away from their homes sometimes three,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28four days a week investigating loan shark operations and they do it
0:14:28 > 0:14:31in very difficult circumstances sometimes.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Hello, Trading Standards.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Our mission is to identify loan sharks and to bring them to justice.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's to support people who are at their most vulnerable.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Ta-ta, mate.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Normally, people will use a loan shark as a last resort
0:14:45 > 0:14:48because, erm, something's happened.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Whatever it may be, you know, they may have lost their job.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54They just think, "If I can see my way through for the next few days,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57"couple of weeks, then, effectively, I can get out of this trouble."
0:14:57 > 0:15:01The debts get worse because the loan shark just applies
0:15:01 > 0:15:02more and more pressure.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Some of the interest rates, the APRs, that we can quote,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15go into the hundreds of thousands of percent.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19You know, we've had instances where you go through the loan books and
0:15:19 > 0:15:21you just see the bill being doubled.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24They apply that many charges that, effectively, you can never pay it back.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28I'm going to play you a clip now.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32What we're looking at here is how a loan shark
0:15:32 > 0:15:33can affect somebody's life.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07And that just continues and continues and continues.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11It must be dreadful to wake up every day thinking,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14"I haven't got enough money to pay the loan shark,"
0:16:14 > 0:16:19and to get calls like that just to add to that feeling of dread.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Can you just explain a little bit about the situation?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24How did your mum get to meet this person?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Basically, we've got an intel unit, which is at the far end of the room,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31and they will build on any intelligence that comes in,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34to the point where we can carry out a warrant.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Do you know roughly, over time, the total that she's paid back up to now?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42There are two teams out executing warrants, seizing evidence,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44effecting arrests.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47We've done three this week, so that tells you how successful we can be
0:16:47 > 0:16:50at it - and that can be from information that was quite scant.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54From our point of view, knowledge is power.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Information comes from the hotline or via Twitter or Facebook.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04The hotline is open 24/7 and we've been known to have phone calls
0:17:04 > 0:17:07in the middle of the night, sort of two, three o'clock in the morning,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10cos that's when someone can be at their lowest ebb.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Some people have borrowed money, obviously, because they've got
0:17:16 > 0:17:20bills to pay and they're at the end of their tether financially,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23but I've heard stories of other people who've borrowed money
0:17:23 > 0:17:25to buy a dog, say.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29So, everybody's story's different, but, no matter how it starts,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31it always ends the same.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43This is the cash count for Operation Unimac.
0:17:43 > 0:17:49This is four lots of cash that was seized this morning.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01So, we'll do a bullet-point debrief now of the morning warrant, please.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05You had a conversation with an individual who's willing to assist
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and they've given a snippet of information.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Yeah. Basically, they're saying that he's not the only lender.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15There are other people in the syndicate lending money out and he
0:18:15 > 0:18:18says that our suspect lends money out at casinos,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22so a lot of taxi drivers go there, they gamble.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26When they lose money, he's there waiting with ready cash.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The way it works is they borrow, say, £100 and they pay double back.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Every time, he charges double on every amount that he lends out.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Has it been a success? Yes, I think so.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Now we go into the post-arrest stage of enquiries to build up a case.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46If there is a case to answer and if we then decide to charge this
0:18:46 > 0:18:50individual, we then look to prepare the case for prosecution at court.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Grand total of £13,800.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55At the moment, it's all looking good and I think we're on course
0:18:55 > 0:18:56for a prosecution.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Cath is travelling to Birkenhead in the Wirral.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04She manages the team that deals directly with the victims.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The district recently had an unemployment rate
0:19:07 > 0:19:08double the national average.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Cath spends up to four days a week travelling to some of the most
0:19:12 > 0:19:15deprived areas in the country to meet victims.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16We're primarily victim and witness support -
0:19:16 > 0:19:18that's the bread-and-butter bit of our role -
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and then also we try and prevent people going to loan sharks.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23That's our aim in life, if you like.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So, it's about trying to get information to communities through
0:19:25 > 0:19:28the press, do whatever else we can do to make sure they know we exist
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and that support is available.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34She's here to help a housing association who've noticed
0:19:34 > 0:19:38a suspicious spike in the level of rent arrears amongst their tenants.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42If you've got a loan shark operating on one of your estates and
0:19:42 > 0:19:43you're a housing association,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45I pretty much guarantee your rent arrears will go through the roof,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48cos people will pay the loan shark before paying the rent
0:19:48 > 0:19:50because of the fear factor.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51So, they want to join in the fight,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54they want to help us identify them and get them removed from the areas
0:19:54 > 0:19:56that they work in.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59What we want to do is give the front-line staff the tools and
0:19:59 > 0:20:01the knowledge to be able to talk to people about loan sharks.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05The question we always get asked, "How many loan sharks are there?"
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I bet I get asked that today and the honest answer is we don't know
0:20:08 > 0:20:09because they're not registered.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It's like asking how many drug dealers are there.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15If I could do any job, I'd be on the stage, so this is as close as I get.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20So, basically we're going to look at what is a loan shark,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22who we are and what we can do about it, basically.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25There's quite a lot of media, you're probably aware at the moment,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27about legal loan sharks, in inverted commas.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28It's a phrase that drives me mad.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It's a bit like saying "legal burglar".
0:20:30 > 0:20:33There are high-cost lenders, but they're not legal loan sharks.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36That really drives me mad, cos I think it blurs the line
0:20:36 > 0:20:38for the public about what we're talking about a lot of the time.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41In this country, there is no cap on the interest rate you want to charge
0:20:41 > 0:20:44as a business. If you want to charge 1,000,000% interest,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47you are able to do so, as long as your paperwork is correct and
0:20:47 > 0:20:48you advertise it right.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Last year, about 50% of our intelligence came from victims
0:20:51 > 0:20:55themselves or from family and friends who were worried about them,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and about 50% came from people like you guys, from partner agencies
0:20:58 > 0:21:00who were working with someone and had concerns.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The highest sentence you can get for illegal lending at the moment is
0:21:04 > 0:21:06two years and/or a £5,000 fine.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Cos what we want to do is show the court this isn't a technical offence.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11This isn't just someone lending money without a bit of paper.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14This is someone who's having a massive impact on that community
0:21:14 > 0:21:15and needs to be stopped.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19So, if, for example, a loan shark is demanding money with menaces,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21which is what they do day in, day out,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23we can charge them with blackmail.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24Five-year sentence for blackmail.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Much more like it.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30We've charged with counterfeit goods, we've charged with assault,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34kidnap, erm, rape - anything to show the extent of the criminality.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I manage people who live and work all over England,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45so it can be the case sometimes that I'm in Newcastle one day
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and Plymouth the next day.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48I don't have a typical week.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51I think I've done this job five and a half years now,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and I'm not bored and that's really unusual for me.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I think the fact that it keeps evolving and keeps changing and
0:21:57 > 0:21:59you never know what's going to happen next is part of the reason
0:21:59 > 0:22:03that I'm still passionate about it and still interested in it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04So, we're on our way to Hull.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We're going to go past the beautiful Humber Bridge shortly and we're
0:22:07 > 0:22:10going to meet a couple of people who borrowed from a loan shark
0:22:10 > 0:22:13in the past who are willing to speak to you guys on camera.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16I love this bridge. I think it's beautiful.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Pretending I'm in San Francisco!
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Hull may have won the 2017 bid as the City of Culture,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30but its residents have the least amount of disposable income in the UK.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Two victims became involved with the notorious loan shark Darren Wilson,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39who operated a criminal empire across the city.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43They've both asked not to be identified.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46INTERVIEWER: So, how did you get involved with Darren Wilson?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Well, we'd been trying bank loans and stuff like that and
0:22:48 > 0:22:52nobody would help out, so we heard from word of mouth about this person
0:22:52 > 0:22:55who was lending money out so we just went with them.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57You take out these normal loans and the interest
0:22:57 > 0:23:01they're charging and what he was charging, he was just, like,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04simpler to get a loan from, really.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05He never brought any paperwork with him.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09You always used to pay him cash in hand.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It'd start off small loans, about £75.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14We'd been paying constantly for quite a few years.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18The payments got higher and you were paying more back and if you didn't
0:23:18 > 0:23:21pay him on time, he used to bring his heavies in with him,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24so you just had no choice but to pay him.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27When I met Darren, I thought he was just a normal, standard guy like us.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30But when you miss a payment, that's it, he changes. And he said,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33"By the end of the day, if you don't pay me, I'll knock your teeth out."
0:23:33 > 0:23:36With Darren, it's a case of he's not bothered who you are,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38as long as he's getting paid.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40You couldn't sleep at night.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Any bang, you never know if it's him at the door.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44You're just panicking all the time.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45I tried suicide.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49That was probably the only way, I think, that was a way out for me.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Wilson was described by the judge as somebody who was acting like a
0:23:52 > 0:23:57gangster. He'd got nearly 500 loans out into the community.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Over £200,000 he'd pushed out and you see, you know, things we found
0:24:01 > 0:24:03in his house, like a machete and a knuckleduster.
0:24:03 > 0:24:0612 and a half years he's been sent to prison for -
0:24:06 > 0:24:09conspiracy to commit murder, arson, illegal moneylending.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12I think until you've walked a mile in someone's shoes,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15you should never judge them. I think it's really difficult for people and
0:24:15 > 0:24:18the problem is that the loan shark is such a plausible,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21friendly option at the time that why wouldn't you take it?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25If someone said to me tonight, with payday still a couple of weeks away
0:24:25 > 0:24:28just after Christmas, "Do you want a couple of hundred quid?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30"Pay me back whenever," I'm not 100% sure, if I didn't do this job,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32that I'd turn them down.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36We averaged it out that most people probably have a loan of about £350.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Some people might say, "Well, they had the loan. What do they expect?"
0:24:40 > 0:24:44But we all make rash decisions at times and we all make mistakes,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47but why should you have to pay for that for the rest of your life
0:24:47 > 0:24:49for one mistake?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55The England Illegal Money Lending Team has its own legal department.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00who pursue loan sharks through the courts, headed up by Simon.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04With 26 cases last year, he has a heavy and growing caseload.
0:25:04 > 0:25:11We were the first team to properly address the problem of illegal moneylending -
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and illegal moneylending comes in many different forms.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18We have the classic loan sharks, who are violent towards their borrowers.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Then there are the ones who simply threaten and then there are
0:25:21 > 0:25:24the others, who simply don't have violence in their nature.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31We have more cases coming in from more diverse areas and so we do,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33literally, travel the whole country.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41One worries about the community as a whole, wherever it be, because
0:25:41 > 0:25:46it seems to me that there is a whole swathe of society out there
0:25:46 > 0:25:51that isn't properly addressed in terms of the financial sector that,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54no matter how much you dress it up,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59they still need £50 at the end of August to go to a cheap shop
0:25:59 > 0:26:01to buy school uniforms for their three kids.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07When loan sharks are prosecuted and convicted,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12I would imagine that some of the victims wring their hands with glee
0:26:12 > 0:26:15at the fact that they don't have to pay the money back.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19People who have given statements, one obviously worries for them.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22One worries for people who have to give evidence.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26I was scared of reporting him.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29I didn't want to report him, just in case he found out that I did it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32INTERVIEWER: What do you think of the person that did report him?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Well, I'd just like to thank them, really,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37cos it's just got us out of a great big hole.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39There's many issues with victims coming forward.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42There's a massive fear of reprisals from the loan shark.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44There's a fear of reprisals from the community, in terms of being
0:26:44 > 0:26:46labelled a grass.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49There's a fear of the unknown, in a way, of putting your head above the
0:26:49 > 0:26:52parapet, and there's also a lack of knowledge.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54If people don't know this is a criminal offence and don't know
0:26:54 > 0:26:57there is a team out there who can support them,
0:26:57 > 0:26:58then they're not going to report it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02I actually went to the police when I was dealing with it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05I put in a statement to the police about it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Got home, rang the police up and withdrew my statement,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10because I was so scared of what would happen.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Cath is supporting a victim who's been brave enough to come forward
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and give evidence against a loan shark who trapped him in a
0:27:17 > 0:27:19cycle of debt for three years.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I would class myself as a very respectable person.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I've never been in trouble or anything like that.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I've worked all my life and as soon as you hit a bad spell,
0:27:28 > 0:27:29these people are there to prey on you.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33It all started about three years ago.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36My wife became poorly,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I had to give up work to look after her,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41and we found ourselves with no money.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46We tried the banks, we tried other places and no-one would touch me,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50so, the only option you're left with is to go through to the illegal money thing.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53The first time I met him,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56he came across as somebody that wanted to be a friend,
0:27:56 > 0:27:57not just someone that's helping you.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59The amounts I was borrowing got higher.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It got up to, like, £100, maybe £200 a week.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Then it got nasty, because we weren't paying back the exact amount
0:28:06 > 0:28:09that we wanted from them, there was more interest added on.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Threats started to be issued, that your windows would get put through.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17At times, there was spit coming out of his mouth when he was talking
0:28:17 > 0:28:20to you and it just affected me so much.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25I sat down in my chair one morning with my phone in one hand,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28which had the details to ring the Illegal Money Lending Team,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and a pile of pills on the other side and it was a toss-up which to do.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34There is always another option somewhere.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35If you can do without it,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38stay away from them, cos they're nothing but poison.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53An undercover officer from the team is in Stockport,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55an area suffering from rising crime rates.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01We can see that it's a fairly close-knit estate.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Lots of people know each other, so we have to be very sensitive to
0:29:05 > 0:29:07how we're going to carry out the investigation.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11So, we want to get a full feel for where we're operating
0:29:11 > 0:29:14and the potential risks that are involved.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18He's scouting a council estate after receiving intelligence
0:29:18 > 0:29:22about a family-run gang suspected of illegal moneylending.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26It is a lockdown-type estate,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29managed, primarily, by one family.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32They have a total and utter grip,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35a grip managed by fear
0:29:35 > 0:29:39and, where necessary, actual physical retribution.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44One of the key factors is the element of surprise when you're
0:29:44 > 0:29:47conducting this sort of investigation,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51not only in terms of combating them as people because they've used
0:29:51 > 0:29:54firearms or drugs or knives, for example, before,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58but also in terms of making sure we get the best chance
0:29:58 > 0:30:00of securing the key evidence that we want.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04We have 46 people, all identified,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07all of whom we can demonstrate have had loans
0:30:07 > 0:30:11and not one of them is prepared to make a witness statement.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15The people of this estate live in fear of repercussion.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20We have seen significant cases of violence, of injury,
0:30:20 > 0:30:26of broken bones, of assault and of damage to property and injuries
0:30:26 > 0:30:29to pets as well, which is something which seems to be on the increase.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34Doing things like throwing liquid over the person in their premises
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and claiming it's petrol and the next time,
0:30:37 > 0:30:38there'll be a match with it.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42The impact on that individual and the family is huge
0:30:42 > 0:30:45and can be really long-lasting.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50Whilst the bulk of it is just the perception by the individual victim,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52as I say, make no mistake about it,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56there are some people who do and will carry through their threats.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06The team now has enough evidence to launch a dawn raid
0:31:06 > 0:31:08at two addresses on the estate.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12It's four o'clock in the morning.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13We're in convoy at the moment.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16We're going to Cheadle Police Station.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20There's been massive preparation in respect of this and the interesting
0:31:20 > 0:31:23thing is that we don't know what we're going to find this morning.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24It's always the unknown, this is.
0:31:27 > 0:31:33We'll be executing a number of warrants in the Greater Manchester
0:31:33 > 0:31:35area as part of Operation Oche.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39There are going to be significant numbers of police officers out on
0:31:39 > 0:31:44this particular job and it will be a rapid entry.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Each and every one of you must make sure that you wear
0:31:47 > 0:31:49your protective body armour.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53The intelligence gathered suggests there may be weapons
0:31:53 > 0:31:57at the properties, so 40 armed police officers have been deployed
0:31:57 > 0:32:00to assist them in executing the warrant.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04You just want to make sure that everything runs smoothly,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07that people are safe and that there are no incidents.
0:32:07 > 0:32:08That's what goes through your mind.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11We have to consider not only the safety of the occupants,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14but we also have to consider the safety of the officers.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18It's just round the corner now.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28A shout will go across the radio system and it has to all happen
0:32:28 > 0:32:32at the same time, otherwise there's potential for word to get out and
0:32:32 > 0:32:34people to start destroying evidence.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37You always get butterflies.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40You don't know what you're going to find behind the door.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47DOG BARKS
0:32:52 > 0:32:53Police! Stay where you are!
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Normally, by the time that we start conducting the search,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08everything is calm and safe.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11But, nevertheless, you do have concerns that once you go in,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14at that moment you don't know what you're going to expect,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16or how people are going to react.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17We all have access to a number of weapons.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19We've all got kitchens, we've all got knives.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Some people may have a history of firearms,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24some people may have a history of violence.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Well, this morning's been a successful morning.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37We've executed the warrant and made a number of arrests and
0:33:37 > 0:33:40it'll be further enquiries now, throughout the day.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47The officers are going through, systematically, each room.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50They'll be looking at documents, bits of paper,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53whatever it may be that they feel may be potential evidence.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Paperwork, mobile phones, laptops are what we're looking for,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00particularly when it comes to any sort of written paperwork
0:34:00 > 0:34:02that looks like a loan book.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06We won't have a true picture of what's gone on until
0:34:06 > 0:34:10we get all of the documents back to the police station to sift through
0:34:10 > 0:34:13and sort out what potential evidence there is.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17It's not just paperwork that can incriminate.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Mobile phones are an essential part of evidence gathering
0:34:20 > 0:34:22that can help secure a conviction.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25The forensic investigator is able to examine them
0:34:25 > 0:34:27and unlock their secrets.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30One of the important aspects of any search is to recover the phones
0:34:30 > 0:34:32that belong to the suspect.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36You may uncover text messages between suspect and victims,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39where they're demanding payment for loans given out,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41occasionally making threats.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43You may uncover other criminality.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49This reader will examine the SIM card.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52It will provide data relevant to that handset
0:34:52 > 0:34:53and I would run a search.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Tap in something like "loan" to start with
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and look to see how many times the word "loan" comes up.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03That then gives me a very quick indication of whether
0:35:03 > 0:35:07this is a phone of a loan shark or not.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09The importance is achieving best evidence for us, really,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13and is to be able to take into an interview with a suspect
0:35:13 > 0:35:16details of any conversations they may well have had with victims,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19via text messages, via chat or e-mail,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21which may well show criminality.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38Some loan sharks never impose any fear or intimidation.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41It's all about the relationship, it's all about the rapport.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44You'll pay them because obviously you feel that they're
0:35:44 > 0:35:47your best friend and they use that.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50"Oh, come on, I lent you the money when you had bad times."
0:35:50 > 0:35:53They never talk about how they're ripping you off.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Now, if they have to be nice to you to get you to pay those extortionate
0:35:57 > 0:35:59amounts, then that's what they'll do.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02If they have to be nasty to you, that's what they'll do.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06I put no divide between either/or.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Many illegal money lenders feel they are simply doing someone a favour.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16If one is doing it occasionally,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18then it isn't an offence.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23If I lend you £10 on a Friday and you give me £10 back on Saturday,
0:36:23 > 0:36:24that's not an offence, obviously.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27But it snowballs over and above friendship,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30over and above occasional to commercial.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35If I'm lending you £100 and you're giving me back £150,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38then that, quite simply, is commercial, in my view.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41If it quacks and got feathers and swims,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44it's probably a duck, right?
0:36:44 > 0:36:48If you're lending money to people at work and getting back more than
0:36:48 > 0:36:51you've lent out, then you're probably a business.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58What is surprising about a lot of the illegal moneylenders is that
0:36:58 > 0:36:59they know how much money they're making.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03So, why on earth don't they simply go and get a licence
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and legitimise themselves?
0:37:05 > 0:37:10It is as if they want to be under the radar of the authorities,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12for whatever reason.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14And that is sometimes surprising,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17bearing in mind the sheer scale of the money
0:37:17 > 0:37:19that some of these people earn.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Illegal moneylending doesn't just happen in the poorest areas.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Calls to the team's hotline have uncovered information about more
0:37:30 > 0:37:33loan sharking that has spread to the more affluent suburbs.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39An undercover lead investigator and her team are armed with a warrant
0:37:39 > 0:37:41for a raid on an unassuming terraced house.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46So, we knew the background of all the people at those premises before
0:37:46 > 0:37:51we went in, but as we're approaching the premises,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54we're greeted by the loan shark's husband coming out
0:37:54 > 0:37:57to put his bins out, in his dressing gown and his flip-flops.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Good morning, sir.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- Yes?- Good morning, sir, my name's John, I'm a police officer of the
0:38:04 > 0:38:06National Illegal Money Lending Team.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- Hi!- Can we go inside your property, please...- Er...
0:38:09 > 0:38:12..instead of discussing on the drive of your property?
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Sorry, on the...?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Can we come inside your house, please?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Yeah, sure. Why?
0:38:17 > 0:38:18We've got a warrant to search your address.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Shall we go inside, sir, instead of doing this on the front drive, yeah?
0:38:22 > 0:38:23Yeah.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Who else is in the property this morning?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31- Pardon?- Who else is inside your house this morning?
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Erm, my wife and my son.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Can you ask your wife and your son to come downstairs, please?
0:38:36 > 0:38:38DOG BARKS
0:38:38 > 0:38:39Yeah, if you come downstairs, sir.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I can explain all when your wife comes down.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43OK.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Thank you. Good morning.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46Hello.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Do you want to come downstairs, love?
0:38:48 > 0:38:50DOG CONTINUES TO BARK
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Is there any chance you can put the dog in another room as well,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56so I can speak clearly without the dog barking over the top of me?
0:38:56 > 0:38:58- Jack, come here.- Thank you.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Jack! Jack!
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Now, we've got a warrant to search your address this morning
0:39:01 > 0:39:03under the Consumer Credit Act.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07We work for an agency that investigates illegal moneylenders, loan sharks.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11So, before we do that, can I ask you, have you got any documentation,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14any property that's going to relate to, like, the lending of money,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15the illegal lending of money?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- No.- No, OK.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23We get families working together, particularly husband-and-wife teams,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26and what we find is that one of them starts the business off and
0:39:26 > 0:39:29the other one gets drawn into helping out in some way, collecting,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31going and knocking on doors, asking for money.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33All right. Have you got your mobile phone on you?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- SON:- I don't, all my stuff's upstairs.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36OK, we've got yours?
0:39:37 > 0:39:42A lot of people under pressure go very quiet and stay very calm,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and they think, "Well, I don't know how I'm going to get out of this,"
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and people are thinking of ways to get out of something.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52You know, "What am I going to say? How am I going to say it?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55"Who can I blame? It's not me, it's going to be somebody else."
0:39:55 > 0:39:57So, thinking about the story they're going to deliver
0:39:57 > 0:40:00at the end of the day when they're interviewed about it.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02And the easiest thing to do is confess,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05because it's good for the soul.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09We've seen loan sharks that are the typical big, burly criminals
0:40:09 > 0:40:10that bully their way round,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13to people that pretend to be your best friend.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18They try and justify what they've been doing, that they're some sort of community service
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and they're not a community service.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23What they are is people who are greedy and they're profiting
0:40:23 > 0:40:25through emotional blackmail.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28We're not there on a whim and a prayer.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31We're there for a reason and we've satisfied ourselves
0:40:31 > 0:40:35quite properly before we come into your house
0:40:35 > 0:40:38that you are running a business and we're here to unravel your business.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And we are very good at it.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44So, is there a PIN number to get into the computer or a SIM card
0:40:44 > 0:40:45or anything like that?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48When we interviewed them, the husband actually said,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52"We'd thought about getting a consumer credit licence, but decided we weren't going to."
0:40:55 > 0:40:59During the process of the search, we found a safe in their bedroom.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02We can't open the safe or, for whatever reason,
0:41:02 > 0:41:03they hadn't got the key.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And we had to get the person out to open the safe who would open
0:41:10 > 0:41:13the safe on the premises and we managed to open the safe and I think
0:41:13 > 0:41:18there was about £5,000 in there, along with some items of jewellery,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21which she said were not all of her items of jewellery, so now we're in
0:41:21 > 0:41:25the process of trying to track down the owners of that jewellery and
0:41:25 > 0:41:28see if we can get that back to their rightful owners.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34People think they're being so clever by trying to hide cash in certain
0:41:34 > 0:41:36areas, but we always find the cash.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37It's there to be found.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40You uncover everything that goes with human beings, actually.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43We've uncovered drug factories in lofts.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45We uncover firearms.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47We uncover pornography.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49We uncover people trafficking.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51You know, whatever humans are into.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53You know, all sorts of things.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57She had about 30 to 40 customers,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01a substantial business which had grown over a number of years
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and her husband clearly had a lot of knowledge about it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09While the team takes the suspects to the police station for questioning,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Tony demonstrates the spoils of another warrant that took place
0:42:12 > 0:42:14the night before.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18You can see how busy we are because, obviously, we've come straight from
0:42:18 > 0:42:20that job to this job today.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24This money now is all sealed up and it's going into
0:42:24 > 0:42:26a safe store in the next few minutes.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29We believe it's over £50,000.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31This was just lying around his house.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36There's a lack of education amongst loan sharks,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39but there's certainly no lack of business acumen.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42They know how to get money out of people,
0:42:42 > 0:42:46they understand how the psychology of human beings work.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50They understand about bringing pressure to bear in family groups.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53You couldn't say there is one profile that would fit a loan shark,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55other than they're all in business.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00With a small team, they can't fight this war alone.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03They have to rely heavily on outside agencies,
0:43:03 > 0:43:07like the Citizens Advice Bureau, who fight their own daily battles on the
0:43:07 > 0:43:08front line of indebted Britain.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11We can go to CABs all over the country.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13It's one of our key relationships, I'd say.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17Housing, police, credit unions and debt advice are our, kind of,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21four key areas that we drop in and maintain relationships, basically.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23People do open up to CAB workers, so they're a really key
0:43:23 > 0:43:25source of intelligence.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27- TONY:- With the small team that we've got,
0:43:27 > 0:43:29we can't be expected to be everywhere.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Without our partner agencies, we would fail, but they've seen
0:43:32 > 0:43:36the real benefits to the community when we take out a loan shark and,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39as a result of that, everybody becomes passionate about it.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41There is a victim of a loan shark
0:43:41 > 0:43:45and there was some support needed there, so I just added...
0:43:45 > 0:43:49I maybe see someone who I suspect a loan shark is dealing with
0:43:49 > 0:43:50maybe once a month.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54No-one says, "I've borrowed money from a loan shark."
0:43:54 > 0:43:57It's always a friend or a relative,
0:43:57 > 0:44:01and as we've become more aware of the activities of these people
0:44:01 > 0:44:05in our town, we do delve a little bit deeper.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10Sometimes people are struggling that much that they have to turn to them,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and this is why we try to raise awareness of what is out there -
0:44:14 > 0:44:15to support them.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20- CATH:- Excuse me, have you got a second? I'm not selling anything.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Too cold, too cold.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27In Stoke, 34% of people live in poverty.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29With people so strapped for cash,
0:44:29 > 0:44:31they become an easy target for loan sharks.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Cath's out raising awareness,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40gathering any leads she can about illegal moneylenders in the area.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Nice one. Thank you very much, gents, cheers.
0:44:44 > 0:44:45We must be mad, mustn't we?
0:44:45 > 0:44:47This is dedication, this is!
0:44:49 > 0:44:51So, we've moved from outside the shopping centre to inside
0:44:51 > 0:44:53the bus station, so it's at least dry and we're all thawing out
0:44:53 > 0:44:56a little bit now and people are a bit more willing to talk to us,
0:44:56 > 0:44:59cos they're standing there waiting for a bus anyway and they're not freezing to death.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02You've got 91 years' experience to share with us!
0:45:02 > 0:45:05We've spoken to people today who know what loan sharks is
0:45:05 > 0:45:07and I firmly believe that wouldn't have happened five years ago.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12I would never, ever have a loan off a loan shark.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Those people want stamping out.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16They all should be shot.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18This is my view on it.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Someone said to me today, "They break your legs,"
0:45:20 > 0:45:22and someone else said, "I'd never get in with them cos they come
0:45:22 > 0:45:25"into your house and they take your stuff," and that's absolutely true.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27So, I think it's brilliant, from our point of view, that people are
0:45:27 > 0:45:30picking up the messages and saying, "No, no, I'd never use them."
0:45:30 > 0:45:33It's important, what you're doing. I appreciate what you're doing.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Today, we've had someone come up to one of my colleagues and say that
0:45:35 > 0:45:37he knows a loan shark.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39He's given us the name, he's given us the nickname and also the estate
0:45:39 > 0:45:41where he says the guy's working.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43So, we can go away and check the name and the nickname against
0:45:43 > 0:45:47our systems, we can check it against police systems and then,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49even if, at worst, we just target that estate,
0:45:49 > 0:45:50at least we know where we're going.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57For a small team, the results are impressive,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00but the battle against loan sharks is far from won.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02They're also having to deal with a relocation,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05funding cuts and reduced resources.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07I've got a few things that I want to talk about.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10First of all, the redundancies.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Clearly, we've got five staff that are leaving the organisation.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- Have we pencilled in the exit interviews?- Yes, yes.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20How's that gone down?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Erm, they were disappointed, but, obviously, they recognise that
0:46:23 > 0:46:27there's only so much that we can do and we need to focus
0:46:27 > 0:46:28on certain priorities.
0:46:28 > 0:46:34We'll need to monitor to make sure that we don't overstretch staff
0:46:34 > 0:46:37that may see it as having to pick up extra work.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40If you lose any staff, or any resource,
0:46:40 > 0:46:41clearly that has an impact.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Of course, I'm disappointed, because it has an impact on the outcomes
0:46:45 > 0:46:49that you can produce, so it may take us slightly longer to get jobs done,
0:46:49 > 0:46:53but, ultimately, I'm a realist and we're in times, at the moment,
0:46:53 > 0:46:54where austerity bites,
0:46:54 > 0:46:59but we will ensure that we look at everything and try and
0:46:59 > 0:47:02take the most appropriate, proportionate action.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Police. Can you open the door, please?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19The investigators carry on their fight to disrupt loan shark activity,
0:47:19 > 0:47:23even if it's only possible to take them out one by one.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Please, why not...?
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Why you are doing camera?
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Huh? No, you come this way. This way.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31We should not go by camera.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Right, so we're lost now, but I know it's around here somewhere.
0:47:36 > 0:47:41Team solicitor Simon continues to pursue his cases all over England,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44trying to maintain his 100% conviction rate
0:47:44 > 0:47:47against the inevitable frustrations of the court system.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51Unfortunately, the interpreter has been booked for tomorrow and,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53as neither of us can attend tomorrow,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55it's all been put off to next week, I'm afraid.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58I still feel angry now and he's been locked up four years...
0:47:58 > 0:48:01And Carol Highton, who helped to jail the loan shark
0:48:01 > 0:48:06who hounded her son, has received an MBE for her public services.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10It worries me because, today, it's getting so much worse,
0:48:10 > 0:48:14especially with all the government changes coming in and everything.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18There's going to be so many people now who are going to be stressed
0:48:18 > 0:48:22to the max and going to get in so much debt because of all
0:48:22 > 0:48:25these changes and they are going to go down the path of going
0:48:25 > 0:48:29to these illegal lenders, because it's going to be the only way
0:48:29 > 0:48:31that they're going to be able to survive.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37MUSIC: Avenue Agnes by Obel
0:48:51 > 0:48:55# What is wrong at the end of the day
0:48:55 > 0:49:00# What is really wrong, no-one dares to say
0:49:00 > 0:49:02# You know you're wrong
0:49:02 > 0:49:04# When there's only one right... #