0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09our valuables, just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12To cut down on crime and anti-social behaviour,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15the police are now using new tactics,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19where the bad guys actually get caught in the act.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21They're launching covert operations...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Keep pretending you're talking on the phone for a bit longer, OK, mate.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26...and setting clever traps.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The laptop he's about to steal is equipped with a tracking device.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- ...that deliver unsuspecting crooks...- Go, go, go.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34...right into their hands.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39There are also ways that the public and local businesses can fight back,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41with some tricks of our own.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I wasn't going to sit back and let them do this.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We've caught you and we're sending you down.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50So, anyone who's up to no good, had better think twice.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53They might just get caught red-handed...
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Coming up on today's Caught Red Handed,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07a terrifying ordeal begins for a young couple.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12They've pushed my wife down, they've hit me with the butt of their gun.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16But they find a way to turn the tables on two dangerous criminals.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Also today, a burglar helps himself to a laptop,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24unaware he's fallen straight into a police trap.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28We're looking at the map which indicates where that laptop went
0:01:28 > 0:01:29when it left the property.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34And nicking charity tins, would ANYONE stoop so low?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Yes they would.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47First, a dramatic story, where it's the public,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50not the police, using technology to catch villains.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55It's just coming up to 3:30 on a quiet weekday afternoon
0:01:55 > 0:01:58in the town of Smethwick, West Midlands.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Though, in just a few minutes time, that peace will be shattered.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07A transit van slows and parks up on the pavement.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11It looks like any other delivery van
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and goes unnoticed by the shoppers and the schoolchildren walking home.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But its true purpose is sinister.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20From the opposite direction,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23two men walk up to the door of this jewellers.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26They're buzzed in and enter a security airlock
0:02:26 > 0:02:30before being allowed through the second door.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33They ask to look at some gold jewellery.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Meanwhile, the transit van creeps up to place itself
0:02:36 > 0:02:39right outside the jewellers' window.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Inside, while one man smiles and jokes with the couple
0:02:42 > 0:02:46who run the store, the other keeps holding his phone up to his ear
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and looking towards the direction of the van.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51A brief nod is given.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52It's time.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57The man with the phone reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04A terrifying armed robbery begins,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06but it's one that will end with the burglars
0:03:06 > 0:03:08getting more than they bargained for.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Deepak's family have been jewellers for generations.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Five years ago, he took over his family store
0:03:22 > 0:03:26that specialises in Asian gold.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30During this time, he met up and married Preeti.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33But before the pair started running the shop together,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Deepak warned his wife what she was letting herself in for.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41When I first met my husband, he actually asked me this question,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45he said, "Us as jewellers live a completely different life,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48"I mean, security-wise, we always have to think twice,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51"even three times, have to look over our shoulder many times."
0:03:51 > 0:03:54We just know that the kind of dangers
0:03:54 > 0:03:56that we have to live through every day.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Constantly checking, cos we're always a target.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00"Is that something that you're willing to take on?"
0:04:00 > 0:04:04That's one of the first things he said and I remember it to this day.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Before the day these two men walked through the door,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13the couple's store had already been attacked on two separate occasions.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16We've had someone come in with a knife,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19we've had someone actually smash through the doors.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24At that time, it was just myself here. The size of the sledgehammers
0:04:24 > 0:04:27that they come in with, they're basically bigger than my head.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And they helped themselves to almost the whole shop.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34That time, the gang fled with their bin bags full of loot,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37leaving Deepak and Preeti to pick up the pieces.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The thing is, you've worked all your life to build a business,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45you've worked all your life to put something into your life
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and for them to just to spend a minute in your shop
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and take your livelihood off you...
0:04:51 > 0:04:55it's just... There are no words to describe what it feels like.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57The thieves got away with it
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and it was months before the couple could re-open.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02I wasn't going to let that happen again,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04because you're always a target.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08To guard against future smash and grab attempts,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11doors were reinforced, glass toughened,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13more cameras added.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Crucially, Deepak also invested in the latest protection technology.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22A smoke machine that would go off, if a panic button was hit,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25pumping the store with a harmless dense vapour.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Literally, you can't really see your hand in front of your face, that far.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It's a basic concept - if you can't see it,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33you won't be able to nick it.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Two years later, the couple's nerve and their new measures
0:05:39 > 0:05:41were about to face the ultimate test,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44when these two armed robbers enter their shop.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47This was an ordinary day. These two guys came up to the door,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49we didn't think twice.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53They posed as customers and wanted to look at articles of jewellery, at first.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55That's why we didn't suspect anything.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00But suddenly, the friendly tone changes.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03At this point in the conversation, one of them says to us,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05"OK, go to the back room."
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It didn't register first, you know? What did you say?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It was like, "Go to the back room".
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and it was at that point when they've pulled the guns out at us
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and jumped over the counters and they're walking us to the back room.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23To subdue the couple, the robbers aren't afraid to use violence.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24They've pushed my wife down,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29they've hit me on the back of my head with the butt of their gun
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and punched me a few times or kicked me a few times
0:06:33 > 0:06:35in my stomach and stuff.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38For someone, a loved one, to be hurt like that, you know,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43it's just really... There are no words, to be honest.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Beaten, but not down,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51the young couple unleash their defences on the attackers.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53They've come in, they've hurt our life and everything,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55we don't want them to get away with it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57And it's chaos in the High Street.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00At one point, we could actually see one of their arms and foot,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02come out through the glass.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Every day in England and Wales, around 2,000 homes are broken into.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19That's nearly one every 45 seconds.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Burglars get punished, if they're caught,
0:07:21 > 0:07:26but being a victim can also carry a heavy sentence.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Burglary can be very devastating
0:07:28 > 0:07:29on people, you know.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31It's an intrusion into their privacy
0:07:31 > 0:07:34their personal effects are invaded,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39their privacy's invaded. And it can affect people in varying degrees,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42to the point where the elderly could die from shock.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It's not a nice crime, it's a horrendous crime
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and that's one which we take very, very seriously.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55So seriously, that on the streets of Dudley in the West Midlands,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58police are taking over houses.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Julie and Nick look like any other couple moving in,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04but really they're plain-clothed police officers,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07setting up what's called a" capture house".
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Last year, burglaries were starting to become a big problem in Dudley.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19In the August, we'd had in excess of over 115 offences,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22so as a result of that we knew we had to do something different
0:08:22 > 0:08:26to prevent that spike re-emerging this August.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31We all fully appreciate that having someone break into your home
0:08:31 > 0:08:33can be absolutely devastating.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And it, actually, can be something
0:08:37 > 0:08:40that you struggle to deal with for a long time after.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Ken and Doreen Mabbett are a couple
0:08:43 > 0:08:46who suffered a particularly cruel loss.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48They were on holiday in France, when their daughter rang
0:08:48 > 0:08:52to tell them their home had been broken into.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53That, in itself, was a shock.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58But what was more distressing was she said that the safe had been taken.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02In the safe were items belonging to Angela,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06the daughter Ken and Doreen lost, at the age of seven.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10A lock of her hair was one thing, which we took,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13the announcements of her birth and her death
0:09:13 > 0:09:17and things that were in the paper that had been said about her.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22The other thing that was in there was a gold charm bracelet
0:09:22 > 0:09:26When Angela was born, my husband bought me a little stork
0:09:26 > 0:09:30to go on it and then when she died, he had a special one made for me.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Although the bracelet, in terms of...
0:09:34 > 0:09:39was worth quite a lot of money, that to me didn't matter, at all.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It was what was on there and those memories.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45They can't ever be replaced.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48They can't be replaced.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Inspector Andy and his team were desperate to reduce the number
0:09:56 > 0:09:59of heartbreaking burglaries, such as Ken and Doreen's,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03so he and another detective, we'll call him Dave,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06came up with the idea of a capture house.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Dave has been undercover on some
0:10:08 > 0:10:11of the biggest covert operations in the Midlands.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Because of this, we can't reveal his identity
0:10:14 > 0:10:16or that of the capture house.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18We were, sort of, pioneers in developing
0:10:18 > 0:10:21capture house decoy houses.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Over the years in the police, since that day,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I've been on specialist teams where I had the opportunity to develop skills
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and also the increase in technology, where the size of these cameras
0:10:29 > 0:10:32has got a lot smaller, allowing us really to meet in the middle
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and to hide this equipment and to utilise it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Dave has all the expertise that's needed
0:10:37 > 0:10:40to turn an ordinary house, like this one, into a capture house.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Rigged with cameras and sensors,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46it becomes a technological trap for any uninvited visitors.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50One of the types of equipment we do use to indicate that
0:10:50 > 0:10:55there is a burglary in process, is one of our 3G alarm sensors.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It seems quite blocky, quite square and it does stand out
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but, obviously, utilising different bits of furniture, we can,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03to a degree, hide these.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06We put on an obvious point of entry, as in the window here,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09into a bit of furniture and then, nice and simple,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12we press the button to arm...
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and then within a matter of time, on my mobile phone,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19I should have a signal saying that it is armed and it's activated.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Any intruder passing that sensor will trigger an alarm
0:11:22 > 0:11:25in the police control room, and that won't be their only problem.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28What we use is some unique tagging spray which contains a barcode,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and we'll spray that onto the window,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33so hopefully anyone climbing through will transfer this
0:11:33 > 0:11:37from the window frame either onto their hands onto their clothing.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43If they have got this spray on them, it's not just the case of the dye,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47that contains a unique barcode which is clarified to this can.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There is no way anyone can say they haven't been into that,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52because we own a control sample of this can.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Working his way throughout the entire house,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Dave conceals cameras in every room.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I'm just trying to keep it as natural as possible,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03trying to hide any of the cables, so it doesn't stand out,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06catch people's eyes as being different from the vase.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Best thing about these is, they give us full night vision,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13so we can put these behind anywhere and we're satisfied, if it's dark,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16we will get a very good clear image of anyone entering the premises.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And covering every possible entry point with forensic liquid.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Again, in the bedroom,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I've sprayed some of the jewellery with tagging spray.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26This will identify this property to this address.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Secreted amongst the suburbs, from council estates
0:12:29 > 0:12:34to smart new developments, there are ten capture houses currently active.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Later, the Dudley operation pays off -
0:12:38 > 0:12:42a thief takes the bait, while the police close in.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Also coming up, a woman watches a robbery in real-time
0:12:46 > 0:12:48as her own house is being burgled!
0:12:48 > 0:12:52'My name is Jean Thomas, I'm watching my home on live monitor
0:12:52 > 0:12:54'and there's someone in my house and he's robbing it.'
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Now, they say charity begins at home
0:13:05 > 0:13:09but some thieves are all too happy to take YOUR charity home.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Like this man in a bar.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Having already signalled to the barmaid on the phone
0:13:14 > 0:13:17that he is content to wait before ordering,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20he uses her distraction to sneakily feel the weight
0:13:20 > 0:13:22of the collection box on the bar,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25quickly whipping his hand away when she changes direction.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28He then waits for the perfect opportunity
0:13:28 > 0:13:31to stuff the box under his top and stroll out.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Disgusted, the bar owners have put this footage up on the internet
0:13:34 > 0:13:38in the hope that it will lead to somebody eventually recognising
0:13:38 > 0:13:40this hardhearted robber.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Well, you can't get much lower than that, can you?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Well, yes, actually. You can.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50In Eastbourne, this youth is about to steal from a funeral parlour.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Yes, a funeral parlour!
0:13:52 > 0:13:56A Help for Heroes charity box for wounded servicemen
0:13:56 > 0:14:00has caught his eye. He makes a reach for it,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04only to be put off by the sound of the manager coming out to the front.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08He says that he wants to find out about costs for his nan's funeral.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11While she goes into the back to fetch him an information pack,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15the 19-year-old, ignoring the cards of condolence and gratitude
0:14:15 > 0:14:19surrounding it, stuffs the tin down his trackie bottoms
0:14:19 > 0:14:21before leaving quickly.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24But he wasn't going to get away with it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28The owner was particularly upset, as her own son
0:14:28 > 0:14:30had been helped by the charity after he had lost a leg
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and part of his hand in Afghanistan.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35So, she handed the footage over to the police
0:14:35 > 0:14:37and local television news.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39After it was broadcast, ashamed,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43the man's own auntie rang up to identify him.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47He later pleaded guilty and was convicted of theft.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57TVs, hi-fis and the like used to be top burglar booty,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59but not any more.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02We can go into a supermarket and buy a DVD player for £20.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06That has meant that the demand for those sort of items
0:15:06 > 0:15:09on the stolen goods market isn't as attractive as it used to be,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11because why buy second-hand items
0:15:11 > 0:15:15when you can buy one brand-new with a guarantee for a lot less?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17But there are some things thieves will ALWAYS want,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19like precious metals.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The price of gold in particular is very high
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and this really puts your jewellery at risk.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's quite an easy commodity that you can move very quickly,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31it can be melted down and the identity then concealed.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35And it's gold that the robbers are after in Deepak and Preeti's shop.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43You'll remember that two armed robbers have forced their way
0:15:43 > 0:15:48into their jewellery shop, and what happens next is remarkable.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Because they'd been targeted before,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Deepak has had some clever technology installed
0:15:54 > 0:15:56to trap any more robbers.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01The biggest fear for me was my wife first, her safety, her life,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and I have to act fast and quickly.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Deepak has managed to reach the store's panic button.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12This immediately activates the security smoke machine
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and also sends an automatic alert to the police.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18At this point, they've obviously looked into the shop
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and seen that the shop's filling up
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and they've questioned us, "What is this? What's happening?"
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And to this, my husband's obviously replied to them,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30"The police are on their way," and they've panicked
0:16:30 > 0:16:31and they've escaped into the shop.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36The robbers run to the way out, but find the door is locked.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39While they are distracted, thinking on his feet,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Deepak quickly shuts the gate and reinforced door to the back room,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45safely sealing the couple off.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It also means the robbers are now sealed inside the store
0:16:48 > 0:16:51as it rapidly fills with smoke.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Recklessly, one of the man tries to blast his way out.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59But thankfully, his gun won't fire.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03If he did manage to shoot out, any kid outside
0:17:03 > 0:17:06could have been a victim. I mean, he didn't think twice.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Watching the chaos, the getaway driver decides to take off.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15The van is later found abandoned.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20In the meantime, Preeti is now directly on the phone to the police.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'The shop is full of smoke and they've got two guns,
0:17:23 > 0:17:24'please hurry up.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- 'You've seen two guns?- Yes, two guns. They were holding them at us.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- 'Stay on the line for me. - Please hurry up, they've got a gun.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- 'Are they still in the shop? - Yes, they are.'
0:17:32 > 0:17:35This serious situation means that Deepak and Preeti
0:17:35 > 0:17:39must sit tight until a special armed police unit can arrive.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Enveloped by smoke, the trapped robbers
0:17:42 > 0:17:44desperately try to free themselves.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Safe in the back room, Preeti and Deepak
0:17:48 > 0:17:52watch the CCTV pictures live on their monitor.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55They can't see anything, they've tried to grab every piece of item
0:17:55 > 0:17:57in the shop to try and smash their way out.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00While the alarm rings out, the robbers struggle to break through
0:18:00 > 0:18:02the toughened glass of the shop window,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05sending shards into the street.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- 'They're nearly out the window. - They're nearly out the window.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'We can see glass tipping out through the window.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- 'They're trying to get out through the window?- Yes.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:16The noise and spectacle is drawing an ever-increasing crowd.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Some film it on their mobile phones.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- 'Have they gone out?- They're nearly through.- OK, calm down.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- 'Are they trying to get out still? - Yes, they're nearly out.'
0:18:25 > 0:18:29At one point, we could actually see one of their arms and foot
0:18:29 > 0:18:32come out through the glass, and that's when we realised,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35OK, they're going to get away with it, and we don't want to do that.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40You know, they've come in, they've hurt our life and everything.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42We don't want them to get away with this.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Faced with the unusual situation
0:18:46 > 0:18:48of wanting to keep armed robbers IN his shop,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Deepak has one more card to play.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I need you to be caught by the police, basically,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55so I've thrown the shutters down.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57With the press of a button,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Deepak brings down the automated shutter on the crooks.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'We're going to put the shutter down. Dee, put the shutter down.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Cut by the glass, one of them stops it with his bloodied hands.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14The shutter is jammed, but it's done enough to stop the men
0:19:14 > 0:19:16getting out of the hole in the window.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Foiled, they start feeling about in the smoke for the switches
0:19:20 > 0:19:23that unlock the two front doors.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26They've managed to find one of them, press the button,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29the other guy's gone to open the door, he's holding the door open
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and signalling to the other guy, "Come on.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33"We can get out, the door's open."
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The robbers open the inner door, but aren't aware
0:19:36 > 0:19:40they need to find ANOTHER switch to open the outer door as well.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Before they realised it, they both pile in
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and the inner door slams shut behind them.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48So, they've both gone into the airlock system
0:19:48 > 0:19:49and they've both got trapped there.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51'They're stuck in the doors now.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- 'They're what, sorry? - They're stuck in the doors.'
0:19:54 > 0:19:56The security cameras stop recording at this point,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59but when the armed police unit arrives,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01they find the two robbers caught red-handed
0:20:01 > 0:20:04in the tight space between the two doors.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07And when we saw the police turn up
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and realised, OK, they haven't got away,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that's when it set in. "Good, we've caught them."
0:20:12 > 0:20:16So much so, it actually takes firefighters ten minutes
0:20:16 > 0:20:19to break the robbers out of the shop they'd planned to raid.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21The two men have no fight left in them,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25having pounded at the reinforced glass for five minutes.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Sandeep Singh was already wanted
0:20:29 > 0:20:33for the robbery of another jeweller's the month before,
0:20:33 > 0:20:39part of a gang that made away with £100,000 worth of items.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Pleading guilty to robbery, attempted robbery
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and possession of a firearm,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Singh was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51His accomplice, Sandeep Kumar,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54also admitted attempted robbery and possessing a firearm.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56He was jailed for ten years.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04This young married couple have successfully defended their store
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and trapped two highly dangerous criminals.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The only time we actually got to look at them, in their eyes,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12was when we went to court.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Looking him in the eye and saying, "We've caught you,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17"and we're sending you down."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm hoping that we've got everything in place
0:21:20 > 0:21:23for an incident like this not to happen again.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26And it's not just the premises that's been strengthened.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We were traumatised by this whole event,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32but once we overcame that, it's brought us a lot more closer,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36because now we know that, you know, we'll do anything for each other.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39He's there to protect me.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Deepak's security system may be spot-on for a jewellery shop,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but for most of us, the basics will do.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Close your doors, your windows,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and invest in an alarm system.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03"We all know that", I hear you say. Well, apparently not.
0:22:03 > 0:22:0620% of burglaries are still occurring
0:22:06 > 0:22:08as a result of an unlocked door or window.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And there's one place thieves particularly like.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15A third of all burglaries occur via the back window.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19It's a vulnerability, because generally it's out of sight.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Even the smallest of openings can let a thief in,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24like in this next robbery.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32This is a burglary in action in a Florida villa.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35This thief gets in through the dog flap,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37but he's about to be caught like a rat in a trap.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The following events are recorded on a concealed camera
0:22:42 > 0:22:45installed by the owner after a previous break-in.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48By sheer chance, at work, the owner of this house
0:22:48 > 0:22:51happened to check the internet feed from this camera
0:22:51 > 0:22:53at this very moment.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Watching the break-in live, she immediately calls the police.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- '911.- Yes, hi.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02'My name is Jean Thomas, I'm watching my home on live monitor
0:23:02 > 0:23:05'and there's a man in my house and he's robbing it.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10- 'Where are you calling from? - I'm calling from my work.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'Oh, God, I can't believe this. There goes my cat. She's running.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19'I've got three dogs in there. And the cat's, like, freaking out.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21'Oh, God, please hurry.'
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The operator reassures her that squad cars are on their way.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28But then one intruder becomes two.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29'Two people in the house!
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'Oh, here comes another one. Another one in a big jacket.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37- 'He's in the back. - She said another subject entered.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40'Now they're running in... They're looking out the back window.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43'Come look at this, Mrs Morley, there's people in my home.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45'Ma'am, it's OK, officers are surrounding your house,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47'they're not going to get away with anything.'
0:23:47 > 0:23:49This pair of robbers are about to be disturbed,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53as several members of the Florida Police Department arrive outside
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and shout for them to come out.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58'The officers already apprehended two people.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00'Yes, I see somebody in my house.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02'Yeah, that's the officer.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07- 'OK, there's another officer. - OK.- Another officer.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09'They're in the house.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Previous offenders,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13these two juvenile thieves had broken probation
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and were sent back to prison as a result of this burglary.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Back in Dudley, West Midlands,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32we also see police using hidden cameras to catch thieves.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35They're setting up covert capture houses.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Decoy properties full of exactly the sort of stealable items
0:24:39 > 0:24:41that would tempt a thief.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Also, full of cameras and sensors that will alert police
0:24:44 > 0:24:46when the house is illegally entered.
0:24:48 > 0:24:5310am, and one of their capture houses is activated.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Unaware that his every move is being recorded,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00a burglar has got his eyes on a particularly valuable item.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Here's the offender. He's actually entered
0:25:02 > 0:25:07and has immediately seen the laptop that's just below the table.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The camera angle is obviously trained upon that laptop,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12but the offender can't see the camera
0:25:12 > 0:25:15because it's been secreted about the house.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18What you're seeing now is him taking his time
0:25:18 > 0:25:21to actually remove the cables that are attached to the laptop
0:25:21 > 0:25:25in order to remove it from the property and maximise any sale value.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The thief is blissfully unaware he's taken a police bait.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30As soon as he enters,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33an alarm is sent through to the police control room
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and an emergency response car is being dispatched.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39The second thing he doesn't know
0:25:39 > 0:25:41is that, actually, the laptop he's about to steal
0:25:41 > 0:25:44is equipped with a tracking device
0:25:44 > 0:25:46that will enable us to locate it after.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51The tracking device works like satellite navigation, using GPS.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So even if he succeeds, as happens in this case,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58in getting out of the house before the police arrive,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00he's far from home and dry.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03What we're looking at, the map, or the breadcrumbs as we call it,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06which indicates where that laptop went when it left the property.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Police can not only see where it's moving, but also how.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13The thief initially carried the laptop on foot,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15then the speed changed,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19which indicated that, actually, that laptop had been placed into a car
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and then it was moving at a much quicker pace.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26The track is constantly monitored by police.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Once it stops, they can move in and make an arrest.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35This particular thief is right out of luck.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Back at the station,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40he's recognised by an officer who's come across him before.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44In this instance, we were able to locate the laptop within the hour
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and arrest the person responsible for actually stealing that laptop
0:26:47 > 0:26:52and the offender that you see on the video was arrested within 24 hours.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54A good day's work.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Both the stealer and the receiver of the laptop
0:26:57 > 0:26:59have been caught and convicted.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04These two arrests serve as a warning to other potential burglars.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If you wish to break into a property in the Dudley area,
0:27:07 > 0:27:08you've got a 50/50 gamble.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11If one of our houses are going to be a capture house,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Doreen Mabbett, who knows the heartache that thieves can bring
0:27:16 > 0:27:19when they stole mementos of her late seven-year-old daughter,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22has another message for the burglars.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23I'd say...
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- SHE SIGHS - I mean, it probably won't make any difference,
0:27:27 > 0:27:32but I would say to them, can you just try and think about the effect.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Try and think that we're people, you know,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38we have our memories here, they're not just our possessions,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41and they mean something to us.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And just try not to think of it
0:27:44 > 0:27:48as just a house with things for you to take.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Since Operation Capture was launched,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57burglaries in Dudley went down by 35%. Not bad.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Join us next time,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02when the police and public catch more crooks red-handed.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd