0:00:02 > 0:00:03- Come on...- On the run...
0:00:03 > 0:00:04Get back here!
0:00:04 > 0:00:05..and over here.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Hands out now, hands out.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11When foreign criminals flee their home countries,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13many hide out in the UK...
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Give me your hands.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17..but if they think they're safe - they're wrong...
0:00:17 > 0:00:18They know they're wanted.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22A lot of these people are waiting for that knock on the door.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25..but the traffic in fugitives isn't all one way.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Across Europe there are hundreds of British criminals
0:00:29 > 0:00:32also trying to escape justice.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34From the sun-drenched Costas,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37to the busy streets of the Dutch capital,
0:00:37 > 0:00:38GLASS SHATTERS
0:00:38 > 0:00:42This is how the police take down the fugitives.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44You're under arrest under the Extradition Act.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Police officer!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..both at home, and abroad.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56On today's programme,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58a series of dawn raids across London
0:00:58 > 0:01:02leads to the arrest of an elusive Portuguese woman
0:01:02 > 0:01:04wanted for forgery and embezzlement...
0:01:04 > 0:01:08There's no photograph and there's no fingerprints, I don't think.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12If she says it's not her, then we've got to prove that it is her.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17..the Leeds teenager almost beaten to death on camera...
0:01:17 > 0:01:21how a Europe-wide DNA search led police to a fugitive
0:01:21 > 0:01:23who had fled to Slovakia...
0:01:24 > 0:01:25There is no hiding place,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29because DNA is such a wonderful investigatory tool for us.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35..and, after an audacious armed attack on a prison van,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38this Salford gang member gets a nasty surprise
0:01:38 > 0:01:42over breakfast in the Spanish sunshine.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52London - home to the specialist squads of the Metropolitan Police...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Police, can you open the door please?
0:01:54 > 0:01:55LETTERBOX RATTLES
0:01:55 > 0:01:57..amongst them, the Extradition Unit.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Hello, it's the police, can you open the door please?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Teams of detectives working round-the-clock,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05tracking down foreign criminals.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06It's a manhunt unit -
0:02:06 > 0:02:08we're looking at finding people
0:02:08 > 0:02:10rather than investigating the crimes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12This unit hunts for fugitives
0:02:12 > 0:02:15here to escape the law in other countries...
0:02:15 > 0:02:16All right, this way.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18..and brings them in to face justice.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Detective Chief Inspector Julie Bidewell
0:02:24 > 0:02:26leads the Extradition Unit.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28The intel that we've got on him,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30can we start working on that in the meantime?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33She's put Detective Sergeant Pete Rance
0:02:33 > 0:02:35in charge of a major operation -
0:02:35 > 0:02:37codename Absolute.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- OK.- OK?- We'll get some research done on it this afternoon.- Right, lovely.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The aim of the operation is to find and arrest
0:02:43 > 0:02:46more than 50 European fugitives in the Greater London area
0:02:46 > 0:02:49over two weeks of coordinated action.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52We have new cases coming in every day,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54so we've always got a backlog.
0:02:54 > 0:03:00On average we'll have between 180-280 open cases.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03So, if we can increase the number of teams
0:03:03 > 0:03:06that we've got going out and knocking on doors,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11that enables us to make more arrests and to reduce that backlog.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Quarter to six in the morning, and Operation Absolute is underway.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Whilst Pete and his team head off to Deptford
0:03:21 > 0:03:23to search for a wanted Lithuanian,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25detectives Jamie Darby and Dave Salmon
0:03:25 > 0:03:29are searching the streets of East London for their targets.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Hello, good morning. We're from the police,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33we need to speak to the people that live here.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35What nationality are you?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- French.- You're French?- Yeah.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39What about the other people?
0:03:39 > 0:03:43We need to speak to everyone here.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- Are you sure?- Yeah, yeah.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48OK.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Essentially, the unit is trying to track down people
0:03:50 > 0:03:52that are wanted in foreign countries,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and they're either wanted to serve sentences for criminal offences
0:03:56 > 0:03:59or to face trial for criminal offences.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03So, day-to-day we're assessing the work that's coming in,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06prioritising it, and then sending our teams out
0:04:06 > 0:04:10to try and locate, identify and arrest the people that are wanted.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17Operation Absolute has the backup of the UK's National Crime Agency -
0:04:17 > 0:04:19but even with the best intelligence,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23it's not always easy to track down wanted men and women -
0:04:23 > 0:04:25as Dave has just discovered.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29He's got the exact same name, same year of birth,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32so...it's not the same guy.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36He looks very similar to the chap, but it...
0:04:36 > 0:04:38We've bottomed it out, it's not the same guy.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Detective Sergeant Pete Rance is running the operation.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48He's out on the road on the other side of London.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52South East London - we're looking for a fella wanted in Lithuania
0:04:52 > 0:04:55for criminal damage, smashing up a petrol pump
0:04:55 > 0:04:59in a petrol station in Lithuania, back in July 2013.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The house Pete's investigating has several occupants,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and they have to check every room...
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Good morning, sorry to trouble you, sir.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11We're from the police. You understand?
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Yeah, yeah, I understand.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- OK, where are you from? - I am from Italy.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16From Italy?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20..but the Lithuanian man Pete's after is no longer here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22He hasn't picked his mail up in over a week,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25so my gut feeling is that the guy we've spoken to upstairs
0:05:25 > 0:05:27is telling me the truth.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Neither of the teams are having much success so far.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35Searching out fugitives
0:05:35 > 0:05:40who continually change identities and addresses takes persistence,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but there are plenty more to go after.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45I've got several addresses,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47so we won't waste any more time with this one,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49we'll go on to the next one now.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I've got another two in Romford,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54so we'll see how we get on with them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Hungary has issued a warrant for your arrest.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Later, things start to look up for Pete and Dave
0:06:01 > 0:06:03as the arrests start flowing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The criminal gangs of Salford in Greater Manchester
0:06:15 > 0:06:18have for years held close ties to Spain.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22When the heat at home becomes too much to handle,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24some head for a place in the sun.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29One of those was Paul Taylor.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33He was wanted for breaking two individuals out of a prison van
0:06:33 > 0:06:36in Salford - which, in itself, is quite an unusual crime,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and obviously quite a serious one, as well.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46In April 2013, a prison van was stuck in Salford rush-hour traffic.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Inside were two men on their way to face trial
0:06:49 > 0:06:51at Manchester Crown Court.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59A car full of armed men and a motorcyclist were waiting.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03We know that the green coloured Saab was parked here
0:07:03 > 0:07:05on the left-hand side.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09As the prison van approached from Regent Road towards the city centre,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11the green car then shot across the junction
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and pulled directly in front of the prison van.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18The offenders then got out of the car and attacked the prison van
0:07:18 > 0:07:20in rush-hour traffic.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22It was a daring hijack.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Three men stormed the van,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27determined to free two of the prisoners held inside -
0:07:27 > 0:07:29members of their own Salford gang.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33The men involved were wearing balaclavas,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35in possession of a sledgehammer,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37a firearm and a pickaxe.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42CCTV shows the armed men forcing their way into the van
0:07:42 > 0:07:44to release the prisoners,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and using their weapons to threaten the guards.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51They were extremely traumatised by this incident.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It was horrific for them - but not only them,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56it was rush-hour traffic at the time.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59There was a large number of members of the public
0:07:59 > 0:08:01sat in their own cars along Regent Road,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04behind this van and obviously observed what happened.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10The breakout became national headline news.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Two prisoners are on the run
0:08:12 > 0:08:15after a gang of masked men ambushed a prison van in Greater Manchester.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It happened during the rush hour.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Police are now trying to find the men.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22They are appealing for anyone with any information to get in touch.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Sharp-eyed witnesses spotted the motorcyclist,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30who was also caught on CCTV.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Driving a stolen Superbike, but barely visible, was Paul Taylor,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38riding pillion in a distinctive red jacket,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40one of the escaped prisoners.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Within hours of committing the offence,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Taylor abandoned the motorbike,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47called a taxi and fled the country.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49He seemed to have planned his escape...
0:08:49 > 0:08:52If you're going to break someone out of a prison van, anyway,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I think you're making quite a conscious choice
0:08:54 > 0:08:56that you're going to be wanted.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57This is a very definite act,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00it's not heat of the moment, it's preplanned, it's thought about,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02so he must have known that when he did that,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04that he would have to go on the run straightaway.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06So he was probably prepared to do that, really,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08before he even committed the crime.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10..but in his haste to escape,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Taylor left damning evidence at a garage near the scene.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17They left a motorbike helmet, a leather jacket,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and, crucially, inside that leather jacket was a mobile phone
0:09:20 > 0:09:22belonging to Paul Taylor.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26The belongings Taylor left at the garage
0:09:26 > 0:09:29provided police with a wealth of information
0:09:29 > 0:09:30about the rest of the gang,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and some useful clues as to where he might be hiding out.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38An examination of his own mobile phone
0:09:38 > 0:09:42suggested that he'd been in contact with people in Spain.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48We knew that, potentially, some family members owned a bar in Spain,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50possibly in Alicante.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Despite the early leads, Taylor was elusive.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58For the next ten months he managed to hide out in Spain -
0:09:58 > 0:10:01but, by March 2014, the National Crime Agency
0:10:01 > 0:10:05were close enough to issue a warrant for his arrest.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Later - how Spanish police
0:10:09 > 0:10:11already had their suspicions
0:10:11 > 0:10:16about the latest British criminal to arrive on the Costa Blanca.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18They thought they were already aware of where Taylor might be,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20so once we'd said to the Spanish,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22"Look, we think he's probably in your country,"
0:10:22 > 0:10:24they said, "We've probably got a lock on him already.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26"We might have an idea of where he is."
0:10:34 > 0:10:37When a wanted man or woman is taken into custody,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39a DNA swab can be taken,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and their genetic profile added to a police database.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47This information has transformed the way crimes are detected.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Most crimes will involve a contact between a victim and an offender.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54That means there is a transfer,
0:10:54 > 0:10:55or potential transfer, of body fluids
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and that means there's an opportunity to do DNA profiling.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10In March 2015, a teenager was viciously attacked in Leeds.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14She'd been approached by a man.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16He'd then picked her up,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18lifted her off the ground,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21taken her into the garden behind that high hedge...
0:11:21 > 0:11:23thrown her to be floor with such force
0:11:23 > 0:11:27that she sustained a very nasty injury to her hip and her pelvis.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31The woman was then beaten with a rock and raped.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38West Yorkshire Police launched a manhunt for the attacker,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40who had left DNA at the scene.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They had a very, very dangerous sexual predator
0:11:43 > 0:11:45roaming the streets of Leeds,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49and, of course, that creates a lot of panic, understandably.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51So, the pressure was on us.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55We obtained a DNA profile from the offender from the scene
0:11:55 > 0:12:01and I suppose we do get very used to science solving offences for us.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06But there was no DNA match in the UK for the attacker in Leeds.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08The man wasn't a known offender.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Yes, we've got a DNA profile,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15but he's not recorded on the national DNA database.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18So that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach
0:12:18 > 0:12:20that we had a dangerous sexual predator
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and he is somewhere out there,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24literally, for me, felt like, you know,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I was searching for that needle in a haystack.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Police decided to carry out a targeted DNA swabbing exercise,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36gathering samples from over 1,000 men living near the scene.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42One of those men sampled was a close match
0:12:42 > 0:12:45for the description of the attacker -
0:12:45 > 0:12:48but a DNA test showed it wasn't him.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50The gut feeling of the detective
0:12:50 > 0:12:55was this guy looks very, very much like our rapist.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58The DNA came back as not being a match.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The officer still had a bad feeling about him,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03but of course the DNA is so specific that it can't lie.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Officers had unwittingly tested the offender's brother -
0:13:09 > 0:13:11but why didn't the test indicate
0:13:11 > 0:13:13that the man was related to the offender?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16When forensic scientists carry out DNA profiling
0:13:16 > 0:13:20of brothers or sisters, they'll be very similar in their nature,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22but there will be differences.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24So if there is a near match,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27perhaps from a relative of the perpetrator,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29then that may not be generated as a match
0:13:29 > 0:13:31from the national DNA database.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37With no matches in the UK, it was time to cast the net wider.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42Was the man who'd sexually assaulted a Leeds teenager known abroad?
0:13:43 > 0:13:47His DNA profile was circulated throughout Europe,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and within hours the offender was identified.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53We got a phone call from the Slovakian Embassy saying,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57he's a match for a guy called Zdenko Turtak.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59"He's your man, what do you want us to do?"
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Of course, that was a telephone call
0:14:01 > 0:14:04that I'll never, ever forget receiving.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05An absolutely amazing feeling.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10A European arrest warrant was issued
0:14:10 > 0:14:15and Slovakian police traced 22-year-old Turtak
0:14:15 > 0:14:19to a Roma settlement called Velka Ida, where he was arrested.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Officers from West Yorkshire Police flew out to bring him back.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26That was a major highlight of the investigation,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28knowing that we actually had him now,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30back within our jurisdiction
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and then he can become part of the British judicial process.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39With more and more people moving from country to country,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43sharing DNA across borders is key to solving crime,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and the science is changing fast.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53We now give the power of the analysis to the investigator
0:14:53 > 0:14:54to be done in hours,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58and that is a complete transformation of the current way,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01in terms of forensic DNA profiling is conducted in the United Kingdom.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05In court, Zdenko Turtak pleaded guilty to rape
0:15:05 > 0:15:10and grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 20 years.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13There was no bigger investigation in West Yorkshire,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and there hadn't been for some years before this.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Ultimately, he was miles away in a different part of Europe
0:15:20 > 0:15:25when we arrested him, but arrest him we did, so there is no hiding place.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28You will be found, because DNA is such a wonderful,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31magnificent investigatory tool for us.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Across London,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Extradition Unit
0:15:47 > 0:15:49are conducting a special operation,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51a series of early morning strikes
0:15:51 > 0:15:55with the aim of arresting up to 50 wanted fugitives.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's the police. Can you open the door, please?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03The National Crime Agency is also part of the operation,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and for the past few weeks,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08their officers have been seeking out intelligence
0:16:08 > 0:16:11on the men and women wanted in other European countries.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16When we get an incoming warrant, from wherever jurisdiction,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19the first thing we do is run it through the UK systems,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Police National Computer, Police National Database.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24We're looking for a UK connection.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And if we get, however small, a UK connection -
0:16:28 > 0:16:32so something that identifies that the individual's here
0:16:32 > 0:16:36or has been here - then we do further work.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39So trying to identify where people are through telephone,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42through working with police forces, working with informants,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44working with social media,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46take your pick. Anything...
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and also the other government departments,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53so tax office, health service, etc, those sort of things.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57If the individual is of such a significant risk,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59then the range of what we do
0:16:59 > 0:17:03goes from the very, very minor to the quite intrusive.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But even with the latest intelligence,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10so far this morning there have been no arrests...
0:17:10 > 0:17:11DOG BARKS
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Hello, it's the police. Can you open the door, please?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18..but their persistence is about to pay off.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Detective Sergeant Pete Rance is after a man who's wanted in Hungary.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It's a Hungarian warrant.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31This guy's wanted for using a stolen credit card
0:17:31 > 0:17:33to go on a spending spree,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and...also for...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40a burglary, so we're going to make an approach to the address.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Hopefully he'll be in, and if he is, we'll arrest him.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The man who is wanted to stand trial in Hungary
0:17:48 > 0:17:51has been accused of theft and fraud.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56After much searching, Pete finds the address he's looking for.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59It's a house where each room is rented out separately.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Hello?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Hello? It's the police.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Hello.- OK, nothing to worry about.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Yeah?- I just need to know who lives in this room.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12I'm from the police.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Can I come in?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20There's, erm...
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- Hungary...- Yeah?- Yes? - Do you speak English?
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- No.- A little bit... Hungary has issued a warrant for your arrest.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28OK, it doesn't mean he's in trouble in this country,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31but he has to come with us and go to court in London,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and then a judge has to decide if you stay here
0:18:34 > 0:18:36or if you go back to Hungary.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Now, Pete needs to get his man in front of a judge
0:18:42 > 0:18:44as soon as possible.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50In extradition, people have to be at court as soon as practicable,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and that's generally recognised as being there within a 24-hour period.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57That means if you were to arrest somebody
0:18:57 > 0:18:59at six o'clock in the morning, for example,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02they have to be at court that day,
0:19:02 > 0:19:07and the cut-off time for court is two o'clock in the afternoon.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09If you don't get them there by two o'clock in the afternoon,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12it's quite...you know, the law is quite specific
0:19:12 > 0:19:15that the judge can discharge the case.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The suspected thief is taken to Charing Cross police station,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24where his identity is confirmed.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27From there it's a short journey to the Magistrates' Court,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29where his case will be heard.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Across town, detectives Jamie Darby and Dave Salmon
0:19:34 > 0:19:37are on the trail of a woman wanted for stealing money
0:19:37 > 0:19:38from her employer in Portugal...
0:19:40 > 0:19:44There's no photograph and there's no fingerprints,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I don't think, so we'll have to play it by ear.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49..and identification is critical.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53The ID's probably the most crucial thing...
0:19:53 > 0:19:55If she says it's not her, then...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57we've got to prove that it is her.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02So if there is no photograph to sort of confirm who she is,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05you need a passport or ID card, really.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Because when we put them before the judge at court,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11we've got to say that it's definitely that person.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The name they have on the arrest warrant is quite a mouthful...
0:20:16 > 0:20:21..Maria Isabel da Silva Albuquerque da Cruz.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23She's been convicted of forgery
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and embezzlement in Portugal
0:20:25 > 0:20:27and was sentenced to three years
0:20:27 > 0:20:29in prison back in 2010.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Hello, mate, sorry to bother you, police officer.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Sorry, what's going on?
0:20:34 > 0:20:36I just need to come in and speak to your mum, that's all.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38OK.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Maria, can you just confirm your name for me?
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- Maria Isabel da Silva Albuquerque. - And your date of birth?
0:20:43 > 0:20:453rd of August, '63.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49OK. Maria, there's a warrant out for your arrest in Portugal, OK?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- There's a European Arrest Warrant. - Oh, you're joking!- No.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53What's going to happen, listen,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55what's going to happen is, she's got to come with us.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57We're going to take her to the police station to book her in,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59and then we'll to take her straight to court.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00The judge will ask her
0:21:00 > 0:21:02- if she wants to go back to Portugal or not.- You're joking.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05You're going to have to get dressed and come with us this morning, OK?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- But now?- Yes, now.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14The detectives are convinced they have the right woman...
0:21:17 > 0:21:20..but they'll need to take her to the police station to be sure.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28We're off to Belgravia police station.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31As usual we will take fingerprints,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33photograph and DNA and just process the lady.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It should take about half an hour.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Take her up to Westminster Magistrates.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44So, normally you get it done within an hour and a half.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Once they arrive, she is checked in by the desk sergeant.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53There's an extradition lawyer at court for you free of charge.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And there'll be... Do you want an interpreter there or not?
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- No.- Are you sure?- Mm.- OK.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Anyone arrested and brought into custody
0:22:07 > 0:22:10is thoroughly checked against the records
0:22:10 > 0:22:12to find out if there are any previous convictions
0:22:12 > 0:22:16or other outstanding warrants for their arrest.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20She's never been arrested before in this country,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22so just to see if she comes back
0:22:22 > 0:22:25with committing any further offences.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Finally, a sample of the woman's DNA and her photograph are taken,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32so that all her details are now on record.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Obviously, if you're a fugitive,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36you're not necessarily going to keep the same date of birth
0:22:36 > 0:22:37or even the same first name -
0:22:37 > 0:22:39you may change things around just a little bit,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42just to try and throw people off the scent,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45that you're the person that's actually wanted
0:22:45 > 0:22:46in a foreign country.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48So it's really important for us
0:22:48 > 0:22:51to check out all of the information we get.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54With her identity finally confirmed,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Maria Isabel da Silva Albuquerque da Cruz
0:22:57 > 0:23:00is taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03where a judge will decide her fate.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17In April 2013, 24-year-old Paul Taylor
0:23:17 > 0:23:20was part of a gang of armed men who staged a daring hijack
0:23:20 > 0:23:22on a prison van stuck in traffic.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Their mission - to free two prisoners on their way to court.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Taylor helped one prisoner escape on the back of a stolen motorbike.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34They were in possession of weapons,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37including a sledgehammer and a firearm.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41They forced the driver to open the rear of the van
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and entered the van inside and threatened the other officer inside.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Ten months later,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50the gang and the prisoners who'd escaped
0:23:50 > 0:23:52were all facing prosecution -
0:23:52 > 0:23:56except for Taylor, who had fled to Spain.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59He was involved in organised crime,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and it was likely his life was far better
0:24:01 > 0:24:03than it would've been in the UK,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and certainly we didn't want him living the high life in Spain
0:24:06 > 0:24:10while his co-defendants were on trial for very serious offences.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14When wanted men flee to Europe,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16it's the National Crime Agency
0:24:16 > 0:24:18who send out their warrant for the arrest.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Taylor's warrant was picked up by Inspector Olga Lizana
0:24:23 > 0:24:26at the Spanish police's fugitive unit in Madrid.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Any kind of European arrest warrant or international arrest warrant,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34it comes to my office.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40So, normally we open around five and eight new cases every day.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44That doesn't mean that they're in Spain, but we have to check them.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47We arrest about 350 people every year.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Olga enlisted the help of Inspector Jose Luiz,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56from the Alicante area's serious crime team to find Paul Taylor.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59He knew exactly where to look.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20For Olga, Jose Luiz's local knowledge was invaluable.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21We couldn't do it without them
0:25:21 > 0:25:24because, you know, these guys know the area.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26They know all the places, all the small villages,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29so we really need their help to arrest the fugitives.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Intelligence from the NCA and Olga's unit
0:25:33 > 0:25:35led them to Taylor's father's home
0:25:35 > 0:25:40in a town called L'Alfas del Pi, a few miles north of Benidorm.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45So, they performed surveillance on a property in the Alicante region
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and they thought that, yes, that he was there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52They then surveilled him on what turned out to be a stolen motorcycle
0:25:52 > 0:25:56heading down a motorway where he met some of the males at a cafe.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Jose and his colleagues made their move,
0:26:02 > 0:26:03arresting the eight men
0:26:03 > 0:26:06who were about to tuck into a hearty English breakfast.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Taylor was one of the last to be forced to the ground.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30When officers checked the men's paperwork,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33they found Taylor was using a false identity.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37When he provided fake documentation, they questioned him,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40asked for a few background details.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41He wasn't able to give a convincing story,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45he wasn't able to confirm who he said he was,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48so they took him to the police station in Benidorm,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50at which point he confirmed, yes, he was Paul Taylor,
0:26:50 > 0:26:51and even said at that point
0:26:51 > 0:26:54that he was ready to come back to the UK already,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56so it didn't look like a lifetime on the run
0:26:56 > 0:26:58was going to be cut out for him.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Taylor was extradited to the UK,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06where the rest of his gang were already on trial.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Well, the whole team were absolutely elated,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12because the trial had already started at that point.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13It was still ongoing,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and we knew that we'd actually found him and he'd been located.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22For Olga and Jose, it was a great result.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24There's such a good cooperation right now
0:27:24 > 0:27:26with the British authorities
0:27:26 > 0:27:29that we're arresting a lot of British fugitives.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32So, if they come here, we'll find them, sooner or later.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33They always make a mistake,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and we have to be there just to detect that mistake
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and then get them.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Five months after her arrest,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50da Cruz was extradited back to Portugal
0:27:50 > 0:27:53to serve her prison sentence for forgery and embezzlement.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57In December 2016,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00the Hungarian authorities decided to withdraw the warrant
0:28:00 > 0:28:03issued for the man accused of theft and fraud
0:28:03 > 0:28:07who was arrested in London 11 months previously.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Not so for serious criminal Paul Taylor.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13In April 2014,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16he was sentenced to five years and four months in prison
0:28:16 > 0:28:19for his part in the armed raid on a prison van.