0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cash, our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12But now the police are using cutting-edge technology
0:00:12 > 0:00:14to catch the bad guys.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16CCTV is gold dust.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- Great evidence for the police. - Got to have him stopped.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Local councils, shops and businesses are fighting crime
0:00:22 > 0:00:24with their own tricks and traps.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27There's a eureka moment when you get that evidence.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30And the public are using secret cameras to make sure
0:00:30 > 0:00:32crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35It makes me feel so angry.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37He's paid the price. He is being dealt with.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Yes! We've got her!
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So, anyone who is up to no good had better think twice -
0:00:43 > 0:00:45they might just get caught red-handed.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Today, a terrifying moment in a supermarket
0:00:54 > 0:00:58when pregnant Candice and her colleague Sandra come face-to-face
0:00:58 > 0:01:00with a ruthless gang of robbers.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It's the most horriblest thing in the world.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I just said to them, leave her alone.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And I'm hugging her and wouldn't let her go.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14They aren't the only shop workers to be traumatised...
0:01:14 > 0:01:18as the gang carries out a spree of raids all over Manchester.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20But the police are on their trail.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Also today, a centre that helps adults with learning difficulties
0:01:27 > 0:01:29is haunted by a mysterious figure in the night.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34No broken glass, there's no broken locks, how he's got in,
0:01:34 > 0:01:35we were baffled.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38But all becomes clear a few days later.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40The intruder strikes again.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44He's a burglar and his actions threaten all the centre's good work.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48To burgle us once is heartless, but to come back, it's just callous.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53And when is an accident not an accident?
0:01:55 > 0:01:59When it's deliberately caused by the car that gets hit.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02This is a scam that every driver should know about.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08But first,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11a gang of robbers is on a seven-month rampage,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13raiding over 20 stores.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Really violent, really chaotic, and they always had weapons with them.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Really dominating the poor victims who were in these places.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26A game of cat and mouse between the police and the robbers
0:02:26 > 0:02:29leads to an explosive showdown in the high street.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Six miles south-east of Manchester,
0:02:40 > 0:02:45this convenience store in the town of Bredbury is run by Krishan.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48After growing up helping in his father's shop,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50he has made the leap to running his own business.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54When I first got the shop, it was exciting
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and it was nerve-racking as well.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59It was hard to get the shop up and running.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02You just basically learn as you go.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03Learn from your mistakes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:0530p, please, mate.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Krishan's father lent him the money to buy the store
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and he's desperate to repay his trust.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14I wanted to make my dad proud, to have him know that I could do it,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I could run the shop and I can make it a success
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and pay him every penny back.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24But just three months after taking on the business,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Krishan's dream comes crashing down when his shop is attacked
0:03:27 > 0:03:29by a ruthless gang of thieves.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's a Sunday evening in early autumn, closing time at the store,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38and Krishan has just locked up.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Came home as normal, ate and went to bed.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48While Krishan sleeps, the CCTV cameras are running at his shop.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It's 5am when these three hooded figures approach.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55One of them has a large bag, normally used to carry rubble,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59while another points a metal pole at the shutters protecting the store.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03What happens next is shocking.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It's a ram raid with a 4x4 vehicle.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12They've not quite broken through,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14so the driver ploughs into the shop a second time...
0:04:15 > 0:04:17..destroying the front.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20The rest of the gang now pile in.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25An infrared camera inside picks them up in the dark
0:04:25 > 0:04:28as they ransack the store.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The gang are inside for just over a minute
0:04:32 > 0:04:36before they come out carrying a builder's bag bulging with goods
0:04:36 > 0:04:38they've stolen from Krishan's shop.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43As they drive off, Krishan is woken at home
0:04:43 > 0:04:47when the shop's alarm system sends an alert straight to his mobile.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51The first thing I did was check the camera on my phone and I could see
0:04:52 > 0:04:54the shop is an absolute mess.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Krishan drives straight there.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01When I got there, the whole window was caved in.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I got inside and seeing the shop in pieces like that,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06it was devastating.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09He calls the police and then his family
0:05:09 > 0:05:12to come and help him clean up the shop.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Krishan's losses and repair bill come to £10,000.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19All sorts was going round in my head.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I was just in business for three months and then this has happened.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26I had a target to pay my dad back and this is going to set me back.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I work hard, seven days a week,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and yet these people think they can come in,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34they can rob and get away with it.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39And Krishan's isn't the only local business to be attacked.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43In South-east Greater Manchester,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45there have been four other raids on stores
0:05:45 > 0:05:50in the last month by armed robbers dressed in similar clothing.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52And unlike Krishan's,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55the robbers don't always wait for the businesses to close.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58They also regularly threaten staff and customers
0:05:58 > 0:06:00as they strip shelves and steal cash.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Greater Manchester Police put their Serious And Organised Crime group
0:06:06 > 0:06:10on the case, led by Detective Inspector Robert Cousen.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It was brought to my attention that there were so many striking
0:06:13 > 0:06:15similarities in these offences
0:06:15 > 0:06:16that it had to be the same team.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Really violent, really chaotic, and they always had weapons with them,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25whether it be a baseball bat or a bar, and they went in there,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28really dominating the poor victims who were in these places,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30just doing an honest day's work.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33The first thing Robert's team find
0:06:33 > 0:06:37is there's also been a rise in car theft in the area.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39This group of lads who were committing these crimes
0:06:39 > 0:06:42would break into houses, they'd steal the keys to the cars
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and then they'd take them off the drive.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47They would then use those cars in these violent robberies.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The 4x4 used to ram-raid Krishan's
0:06:49 > 0:06:52turns out to have been stolen two weeks previously.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Watching CCTV evidence of the crime, one of the officers on the case,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Roy Storey, notes how well-organised the gang is.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05It's typical of the type of offending they were doing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You can see this one here has got a scaffold bar in his hand,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and whilst he is making sure nobody is leaving, to alert the police,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14you see the two offenders there climbing over the counter,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16they've got a large builder's bag here, that they open up,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and then you will see them getting trays and trays of cigarettes
0:07:20 > 0:07:22from the display. Filling up that builder's bag.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Using a similar method for every raid,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29the gang have been getting away with up to £20,000 worth
0:07:29 > 0:07:32of cigarettes each time.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34And with gloves worn and faces covered,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36this gang will be tough to track down.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Later, in another shop raid,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Sandra tries to protect her pregnant colleague Candice from a terrifying
0:07:45 > 0:07:51- violent attack. - She was just sobbing her heart out.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55And all she was saying was, "I don't want them to hurt my baby."
0:07:55 > 0:07:58And desperate to stop this gang,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01the police mount a covert surveillance operation
0:08:01 > 0:08:03on their chief suspects.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Can they catch them in the act?
0:08:15 > 0:08:17What we are looking at here is literally
0:08:17 > 0:08:20an accident that's waiting to happen.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22But this is no accident,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26because the driver of the blue car isn't a victim.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28He's a criminal.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It turns out the driver has deliberately got a large truck
0:08:31 > 0:08:33to run into the back of him
0:08:33 > 0:08:35as part of a "crash for cash" insurance scam.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39This is how it works.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41The driver of the blue car
0:08:41 > 0:08:44is operating in tandem with the black car up ahead.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Their target is the HGV truck behind them,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51whose in-cab camera footage we are viewing.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52The two cars stage a near miss
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and the driver of the blue car slams on his brakes so hard,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59the HGV truck is bound to hit him.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Later, the car driver puts in a claim
0:09:04 > 0:09:07worth thousands for extensive damage to his car and injuries
0:09:07 > 0:09:10to himself and his two passengers.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But what he doesn't realise is that this camera in the truck's cabin
0:09:14 > 0:09:17has recorded the whole episode.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And as final proof it's a scam,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22it shows the supposedly injured trio
0:09:22 > 0:09:25getting out of the car as fresh as daisies.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29For this and other fraudulent claims,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32the driver is sentenced to 12 months in prison
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and this crash-for-cash conman
0:09:34 > 0:09:37has been taken off the road for real.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48They say that lightning doesn't strike twice
0:09:48 > 0:09:52but unfortunately when it comes to burglaries, that isn't the case.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Thieves can repeatedly hit the same target.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And it's not just homes -
0:09:57 > 0:10:00business owners can also be victims of repeat crime.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04A cold-hearted criminal steals from a centre
0:10:04 > 0:10:09for adults with learning difficulties. Not once, but twice.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It was callous for somebody to take things
0:10:12 > 0:10:15from the guys who most needed them.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Ilminster is a town in rural South-West Somerset.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28On the high street, Jane runs a unique business,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31a cafe and sweet shop combined with a training centre
0:10:31 > 0:10:33for adults with learning difficulties.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Can you show Amy how to do this?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Jane started the centre seven years ago.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44She wanted to improve the lives of people like her own daughter.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Amy has severe learning difficulties.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50What I was aware of is that when she left college,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52there was nothing out there
0:10:52 > 0:10:55other than pretty uninspirational day services.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Alice doesn't need any help from me, do you, Alice?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- No, I don't.- No, you're better than me, aren't you?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Jane was running a petrol station at the time
0:11:03 > 0:11:05and sold it to fund her dream
0:11:05 > 0:11:07of opening a day centre with a difference.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It's blossomed into a place where adults with learning difficulties
0:11:11 > 0:11:14can socialise and train in new skills,
0:11:14 > 0:11:19including computing, catering and making gifts to sell in the shop.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21This is for table ten.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25We are training them for work outside here.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Even if it isn't work, it's about taking an active part in life.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33That's what they do. And love it and get a huge sense of achievement
0:11:33 > 0:11:35out of what they do.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Chris has worked for Jane since he was 18 years old.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I never really knew what I was taking on at the time.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45It is very rewarding.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48And the gang that we have here are fantastic.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54But when one week Jane goes on holiday...
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Chris has to deal with an unexpected crisis.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's nearly 2am on a Monday morning. The centre is closed.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12But its CCTV cameras are switched on.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16And they pick out the chilling sight of this intruder.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19He's covered in a sheet to protect his identity.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21He turns on the light in the main office
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and then spends the next eight minutes
0:12:23 > 0:12:24rummaging around the place...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28..before running back out.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Their visit from a thief in the night
0:12:33 > 0:12:37doesn't come to light until a few days later when Chris is cashing up
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and realises over £250 is missing.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45That was when my stomach sort of sank and I thought,
0:12:45 > 0:12:46maybe we had a break-in.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49There's no sign of a forced entry
0:12:49 > 0:12:53so Chris decides to check the past week's CCTV recordings
0:12:53 > 0:12:55for any clues as to what happened.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59I went back, fast-forwarded right the way through
0:12:59 > 0:13:04and then on the Sunday night, I saw the ghostly figure on the CCTV.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Chris is upset by what he sees
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and by the lack of concern shown by the thief for the centre's work.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14It's a very small town.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Everyone knows who we are in the town and what we do here,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21so to come into here when they know the job we do here
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and the people that we help...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28He's taken the money which would then slow up us using that
0:13:28 > 0:13:30for other projects. It's...
0:13:30 > 0:13:34It's just not a nice feeling in your stomach, really.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Chris phones the police and then has to call Jane on her holiday
0:13:39 > 0:13:41with the bad news.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43When Chris called me,
0:13:43 > 0:13:49I think the overwhelming sense was of huge disappointment and sadness.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Police take the video away.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55But with the thief's face covered and no forensic evidence,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57hopes aren't high that he can be caught.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And Chris is worried.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04The intruder seems able to get in and out like a ghost without trace.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05What if he comes back?
0:14:07 > 0:14:08There's only two doors.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11There's no broken glass, there's no broken locks.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And you're just wondering if and when it's going to happen again.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Chris comes up with a clever plan
0:14:18 > 0:14:22to prevent the thief covering his tracks, if he does decide to return.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25You always see these CSI programmes
0:14:25 > 0:14:29where they can catch people through footprints or whatnot,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31so we thought, we'll put some flour on a couple of steps,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35which he'd have to go over to get into the building.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Chris was right to be worried.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44At 5am the following Sunday morning,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46the thief breaks into the centre again.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49This time, he's wearing a hoodie
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and carrying a backpack to fill with loot.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01Later that day, Chris calls in the centre and has his weekend spoiled.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03On the Sunday night, I'm walking past and I think, well,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I'll just pop in and check everything is OK.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10I can see straightaway that the back door is bent and buckled.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Inside, it's devastation.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Doors and drawers had all been opened.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18The till and the jars of sweets had all been pulled out.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Every time you enter another room, it just got worse and worse.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25An expensive games console and other items had been stolen
0:15:25 > 0:15:27from the computer room.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29You just feel awful.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34But this time, at least the thief hasn't vanished without a trace.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39As I go up the steps, I can see footprints straightaway in the flour.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43And the security cameras also provide vital evidence.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47As you can see from the CCTV, it's daylight.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49He's a lot more confident.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53But the thief is about to make a bad error.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Getting ready to leave...
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And he glances up at the camera and we thought, "got you now".
0:15:58 > 0:16:00It's a lucky break.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03The thief's image is sent round police stations
0:16:03 > 0:16:04throughout the county.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10A week later, an officer in nearby Yeovil recognises him.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14The man is arrested and he admits to the burglaries.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And Chris is pleased to hear the footprints he captured in the flour
0:16:19 > 0:16:21were useful for the forensic team.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26I was told by an officer that was used to identify the person that had
0:16:26 > 0:16:29broken in, so it must have helped somewhere along the line.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35The burglar's arrest also means a happier return from holiday for Jane.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I was so pleased.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I'm not sure that he ever understood
0:16:39 > 0:16:43the effect he was having on the people here but I did hope
0:16:43 > 0:16:46that when he went to court that would...
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Somebody would drum that home to him.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54The 36-year-old thief was sentenced
0:16:54 > 0:16:57to 11 months in prison for the burglaries.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03He was able to get in because the centre's back door
0:17:03 > 0:17:06had a faulty locking mechanism. It's since been replaced,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10together with other security measures.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15And much to Chris and James relief, the centre is now back on its feet.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Having Sweet Surprise has been both the hardest thing I've ever done
0:17:19 > 0:17:22in my life, but also the most rewarding.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27We'll keep going, we'll keep seeing the guys who come here grow
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and hopefully the future for Sweet Surprise is onwards and upwards.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39More than one in ten burglaries
0:17:39 > 0:17:41happen at an address that's been burgled before.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44So if somebody is a victim of crime,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46what can they do to reduce the chance of it happening again?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48If you have been the victim of burglary,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50they'd have got in a particular way.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51So one of the things to do
0:17:51 > 0:17:53is to make sure they can't come in that way again.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56So that means better locks or changing the layout of your store,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00for example, all of which will put barriers in the way of them actually
0:18:00 > 0:18:03being able to repeat. Because they'd have seen that as a success.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Have all your keys accounted for. Have they found a spare key
0:18:06 > 0:18:08they might have been able to use to come back and steal again?
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Don't advertise the fact that you've replaced all of the items
0:18:12 > 0:18:15that you've had stolen by buying new TVs,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18laptops and tablets and leaving all the packaging outside,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20making it obvious to anybody walking past.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22If you have been a victim of crime,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25then use your local police force crime prevention service.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28They can come out to your house, do a crime prevention survey,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31which will indicate the weak spots in your house,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35and obviously eliminate you becoming a victim of crime again.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48In Greater Manchester, a gang of robbers are on a rampage.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52In the last month, as well as the ram-raid on Krishan's store we saw earlier,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56they've stormed into four other shops.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59And Sandra and Candice were to be the next people to suffer
0:18:59 > 0:19:01at the hands of this gang.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04They work together at the same supermarket and have been
0:19:04 > 0:19:09close for many years, as Sandra was friends with Candice's mum.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12My mum passed away the last year of school.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15So seeing Sandra and then working with her
0:19:15 > 0:19:18is just having that little bit of bond
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and that I know I can trust her and if I need her, she's there.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26She sees me as a second mum.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29And I see her as a daughter.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33I know she's always there for me and she'll look after me.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34And she's good. She is.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41And Candice desperately needs Sandra's help when their shop comes under attack.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50It's a Friday night in October, nearly 10pm.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Candice and Sandra are the only two working at the store.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59Candice has recently found out she's pregnant with her first child.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I was really itching to tell Sandra about me being pregnant
0:20:02 > 0:20:05but through the shift, I went no, I'd better not.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- And wait.- I was on a late.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11And Candice was on a late.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15And everything was fine.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17But it soon won't be.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19The gang are coming.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22All of a sudden, they came in.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29And all we saw was balaclavas and Candice, she was screaming.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33As usual, two of the gang start emptying cigarettes
0:20:33 > 0:20:35into a builder's bag.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37The third shouts at Sandra.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39"Open the tills."
0:20:39 > 0:20:41And I said, no.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I'm not opening the tills.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46If you want money, go and work for it.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52The gang member then uses a crowbar to try to force the till open.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I just stood there. I was shaking.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57But I didn't want to show it.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59But Candice is boxed in by the robbers
0:20:59 > 0:21:03as they smash up the shop around her. She's terrified.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08I was stuck. They could have hit me in the stomach.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11It's the most horriblest thing in the world.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Thinking that they could have hurt my unborn child was horrendous.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And that's when I screamed out.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22She said, "don't touch me - I'm pregnant."
0:21:22 > 0:21:24I didn't know at the time.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26And went straight to Candice.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29As she goes to Candice,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Sandra even bravely pushes one of the robbers aside.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37And I'm hugging her and I'm trying to really calm her down.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40She was just sobbing her heart out.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45And all she was saying was, I don't want them to hurt my baby.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50I was just saying, I will stay with you, I won't leave you.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And I wouldn't let her go.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56I just said to them, leave her alone.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02And then she took my hand and she grabbed me and took me away.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05And that's like a mother's love.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06You know?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Moments later, the robbers finally leave.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13And it was just over with. It was...
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It was good for them to just go, basically.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24An ambulance takes Candice to the hospital straightaway for a check.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Thankfully, her baby is found to be OK.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32As Candice and Sandra are getting over their ordeal,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35over the following months, the number of robberies escalates.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38And more shop workers are terrorised by the gang.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Detective Inspector Robert Cousen's team, including officer Roy Storey,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47are trying to track them down.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49But it's not easy.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51These crimes were happening every couple of days
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and on some occasions, there was more than one in one day.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57There's very little forensic evidence at the scene,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00so what we have to do is find evidence from other sources.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02We get intelligence from people, from the criminal world,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06we get intelligence from members of the public.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08And based on information they receive,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11the police identify some prime suspects
0:23:11 > 0:23:14they believe could be part of the gang.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18We checked their previous offending history and that confirmed that they
0:23:18 > 0:23:21were capable of using violence.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25CCTV gathered from the building where one of the suspects lives
0:23:25 > 0:23:29shows four men leaving just before a robbery was committed by offenders
0:23:29 > 0:23:31dressed in similar clothes.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Shortly after, two of them returned to the same building.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38I want to take them off the streets,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40but I want to make sure that if I'm taking them off the streets,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43that I'm doing it with evidence to convict them.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So the police start a round-the- clock surveillance operation
0:23:48 > 0:23:52with undercover officers following the suspects.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Their behaviour is instantly suspicious.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58They seem to be driving without any aim. They are not going from A to B.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00They are just driving round.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03They'll stop and look at supermarkets and potential targets and so on.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06A couple of days into the operation,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09officers see three of the suspects heading towards their car
0:24:09 > 0:24:11with one carrying a plank of wood...
0:24:12 > 0:24:17..similar to this one used to threaten people in an earlier robbery.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19And that's not all.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21In their previous raids,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24the gang used a builder's sack to carry away the loot.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26One of them goes back to the address and then comes out.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29You see he is carrying a bin bag there.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31And we believe inside that bin bag was a builder's sack.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34So we are really on high alert, then,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36expecting them to commit an offence.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The suspects are totally unaware they are being watched.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44And soon, the surveillance team spot three of them apparently en route
0:24:44 > 0:24:49to another robbery. They follow them and call in reinforcements.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Their plan - to catch the robbers red-handed.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56A few minutes later,
0:24:56 > 0:24:57a camera on an unmarked police car
0:24:57 > 0:25:01shows the suspects parked outside their likely target,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03a supermarket.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05We saw them putting their hoods up.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08They were in all dark clothing, and one of them put a balaclava on.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10So at this point, we know something is going to happen.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15The unmarked police cars manoeuvre into position, ready for action.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Back at the station, it's Robert's call what happens next.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I made the decision that these people would be arrested
0:25:23 > 0:25:25before they got to the supermarket.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I couldn't put people at risk inside that supermarket.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Police officers in four unmarked vehicles
0:25:32 > 0:25:35block the robbers' car so they can't escape.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44One of the suspects makes a run for it, pursued by an officer.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48The robbers' car attempts to reverse out but another police car
0:25:48 > 0:25:50brings it crashing to a standstill.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55A second robber tries to run
0:25:55 > 0:26:01but is wrestled to the ground outside the supermarket door.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Within a minute, all three robbers have been arrested.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10In the boot, police find two planks of wood and a large builder's bag,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13ready to be filled with stolen loot.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17You see there, there's a house brick inside the vehicle.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19We knew that they use them as weapons quite often.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23See some of the suspects there, in handcuffs.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You can see how arrogant they are.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Putting their fingers up at the camera.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Laughing, smirking.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34A robber boasts he'll do it again when he's released from jail.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42They are pretending they are not bothered but I'm sure they're absolutely devastated.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44They know where they're going and they know what they've been doing.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46They know they're going to prison for a long time.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48After raiding the suspects' houses,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52police find clothing that has been used over the series of robberies
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and seizing their phones,
0:26:54 > 0:26:55they find pictures connecting them
0:26:55 > 0:26:58with the stolen cars that were used as getaway vehicles.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Three more suspects are arrested and in the end,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05six people aged 17 to 32 are charged
0:27:05 > 0:27:10with conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to commit burglary.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17In court, all six received lengthy sentences,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21totalling more than 45 years in prison.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23The three men arrested outside the supermarket
0:27:23 > 0:27:26were sent down for nine and a half years each.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It was excellent work, to bring these people to justice,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and then for them to get substantial sentences.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It's a really good result.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40In the time since,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Candice and Sandra have both got over their frightening experience
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and Candice has had a boisterous baby boy.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52He's a monkey. He just wants to play all the time.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Yeah, I'm really lucky to have him.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I'm really lucky to have him.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Do you want to draw Mummy?
0:27:58 > 0:28:01We call Sandra "Auntie Sandra".
0:28:01 > 0:28:04You know I'll always be there for you.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- Oh, I know that.- Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- Yeah.- I know.- All right.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09- Sloppy sod.- I know.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18That's all for today.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Join us next time to see some other villains
0:28:20 > 0:28:22who've been caught red-handed.