Episode 12

Download Subtitles

Transcript

0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Come on!- On the run...

0:00:04 > 0:00:06- Get back here!- ..and over here.

0:00:06 > 0:00:09Hands out, now. Hands out.

0:00:09 > 0:00:14When foreign criminals flee their home countries, many hide out in the UK.

0:00:14 > 0:00:17- Give me your hands!- But if they think they're safe, they're wrong.

0:00:17 > 0:00:19They know they're wanted.

0:00:19 > 0:00:22A lot of these people are waiting for that knock on the door.

0:00:22 > 0:00:26But the traffic in fugitives isn't all one-way.

0:00:26 > 0:00:31Across Europe, there are hundreds of British criminals also trying to

0:00:31 > 0:00:33escape justice.

0:00:33 > 0:00:38From the sun-drenched Costas, where the villains seek a life of luxury.

0:00:38 > 0:00:40To the busy streets of the Dutch capital,

0:00:40 > 0:00:44where many continue their life of crime.

0:00:44 > 0:00:47We join the crack teams hunting them down.

0:00:47 > 0:00:50When you take the risk to come to Amsterdam as a criminal,

0:00:50 > 0:00:53there's a high chance that we get you.

0:00:53 > 0:00:57When it comes to justice, borders are no barrier.

0:00:57 > 0:01:00You're under arrest under the Extradition Act 2003.

0:01:00 > 0:01:03This is how the police take down the fugitives.

0:01:03 > 0:01:05Police officer!

0:01:05 > 0:01:08Both at home and abroad.

0:01:08 > 0:01:11If you're thinking of running, don't.

0:01:11 > 0:01:15We will find you. We will bring you back.

0:01:22 > 0:01:24On today's programme...

0:01:24 > 0:01:26Get in!

0:01:26 > 0:01:28Six years after a violent escape,

0:01:28 > 0:01:34a chance encounter with a Dutch bobby brings a dangerous robber to justice.

0:01:34 > 0:01:37I take the photo out of my pocket, then I know it for sure,

0:01:37 > 0:01:39it's Cunningham.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42It's home time for this convicted criminal.

0:01:42 > 0:01:47- Listen, enough.- But there's trouble when he decides he's got other plans.

0:01:47 > 0:01:49- Stop fighting.- He was extremely drunk,

0:01:49 > 0:01:52his behaviour was extremely erratic.

0:01:52 > 0:01:53No, no!

0:01:55 > 0:01:58And the sickening trade in human lives.

0:01:58 > 0:02:02The hunt for a prolific people trafficker leads investigators all

0:02:02 > 0:02:04the way to western Africa.

0:02:04 > 0:02:06The families, the victims,

0:02:06 > 0:02:08were convinced there was a better life for them.

0:02:14 > 0:02:19London's Metropolitan Police have the busiest extradition team in the UK.

0:02:21 > 0:02:25More than 20 detectives scour the city for foreign fugitives who are

0:02:25 > 0:02:27wanted across the world.

0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's just before 6am,

0:02:31 > 0:02:35and DS Pete Rance and PC Dave Salmon are out in east London.

0:02:36 > 0:02:39So this morning we're...

0:02:39 > 0:02:44out working on a European Arrest Warrant case, which is a French

0:02:44 > 0:02:46request for a man called Abdullah Naeem.

0:02:47 > 0:02:52Abdullah Naeem, a Pakistani national, is wanted by French police,

0:02:52 > 0:02:56who suspect him of orchestrating a dramatic kidnap.

0:02:56 > 0:03:01We've been given a lead by the French that Mr Naeem was living in

0:03:01 > 0:03:04the east London area. We've done some further background work which suggests that

0:03:04 > 0:03:08the person that they believe was living at a particular address in

0:03:08 > 0:03:11east London has moved to another address in east London,

0:03:11 > 0:03:15so we're at that address this morning to try and identify him

0:03:15 > 0:03:18and see if we can arrest him on the European Arrest Warrant.

0:03:18 > 0:03:21It's quite an affluent area, by the look of it.

0:03:21 > 0:03:25We'll try and get inside the property and speak to the people that live

0:03:25 > 0:03:27there and see if the person that we want's there.

0:03:32 > 0:03:36The unit deals with people from all walks of life - rich, poor.

0:03:36 > 0:03:38The warrants themselves are non-discriminatory.

0:03:41 > 0:03:44Whether it be an affluent area or a deprived area,

0:03:44 > 0:03:47it's our responsibility to go into those areas,

0:03:47 > 0:03:49to find the people that are wanted.

0:03:49 > 0:03:50KNOCK ON DOOR

0:03:55 > 0:03:58Hi, good morning. I'm from the Metropolitan Police.

0:03:58 > 0:04:00We need to speak to the people that live here...

0:04:00 > 0:04:04'Abdullah Naeem's believed to be the leader of a kidnap plot that occurred'

0:04:04 > 0:04:09in France, where two men kidnapped a man off the streets of Paris in

0:04:09 > 0:04:12front of his wife and young child,

0:04:12 > 0:04:18held him captive overnight for a ransom of 80,000 euros.

0:04:18 > 0:04:20Naeem is at the address,

0:04:20 > 0:04:23and despite the seriousness of the allegations,

0:04:23 > 0:04:26it's a very straightforward arrest.

0:04:26 > 0:04:28'He was cool, calm and collected.'

0:04:28 > 0:04:31He's told us that he's a successful businessman in the UK,

0:04:31 > 0:04:33he acknowledges that he's got a problem in France.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36He intends to contest the extradition proceedings.

0:04:36 > 0:04:39There, there, mate.

0:04:39 > 0:04:41If you just sit that side and put your seatbelt on.

0:04:45 > 0:04:47You jump in the back with him, Dave.

0:04:47 > 0:04:51Once he's arrested, we're satisfied we've got the right person named on the warrant,

0:04:51 > 0:04:54he'll be put before the court. To all intents and purposes, it's out of our hands,

0:04:54 > 0:04:57it's a matter for the court to decide whether he's extradited back to France or not.

0:04:59 > 0:05:01This man has come quietly.

0:05:01 > 0:05:04But not everyone does.

0:05:04 > 0:05:06And the day's not over yet.

0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Say goodbye now.- Coming up...

0:05:10 > 0:05:14A Turkish man convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be

0:05:14 > 0:05:16- going home.- Listen, enough.

0:05:17 > 0:05:20But getting him on a plane is going to be a struggle.

0:05:20 > 0:05:23You're fighting us, stop fighting.

0:05:27 > 0:05:31Britain - an island nation connected to the world by sea,

0:05:31 > 0:05:33air and a tunnel.

0:05:34 > 0:05:39We welcome 36.5 million overseas visitors through our borders every year.

0:05:41 > 0:05:43But hidden amongst the legitimate travellers,

0:05:43 > 0:05:45a despicable trade is taking place.

0:05:47 > 0:05:49People trafficking is a hideous crime.

0:05:49 > 0:05:54It takes away people's choices, they become totally controlled.

0:05:54 > 0:05:56They're subject to violence.

0:05:56 > 0:06:01And it actually just destroys the whole fabric of the way human beings

0:06:01 > 0:06:03should interact.

0:06:03 > 0:06:08More than 3,000 children and adults were reportedly trafficked into

0:06:08 > 0:06:09Britain in 2015.

0:06:11 > 0:06:17Once here, many are forced to work in low-paid jobs or in the sex industry.

0:06:18 > 0:06:23Hunting down the criminals behind this worldwide problem is a priority

0:06:23 > 0:06:26for the Home Office and the National Crime Agency.

0:06:26 > 0:06:30Over recent years, there's been an increase in human trafficking on a

0:06:30 > 0:06:34global scale. And the involvement of well-organised,

0:06:34 > 0:06:40sophisticated crime groups who are looking at human trafficking to make

0:06:40 > 0:06:42maximum profit from crime.

0:06:43 > 0:06:45From December 2014 onwards,

0:06:45 > 0:06:50one gang made thousands of pounds by smuggling migrants from camps in

0:06:50 > 0:06:52northern France into the UK.

0:06:55 > 0:07:00Their sole purpose in this particular operation was to make as

0:07:00 > 0:07:04much money as they could in the quickest amount of time.

0:07:05 > 0:07:09The National Crime Agency conducted a joint investigation with the

0:07:09 > 0:07:13French border police to tackle the gang and take down its leader.

0:07:15 > 0:07:20Towards the end of 2015, you could say that you would see weekly,

0:07:20 > 0:07:26sometimes biweekly, runs of migrants between northern France and the UK.

0:07:26 > 0:07:32In January 2016, a van coming from Dieppe was stopped at Newhaven.

0:07:32 > 0:07:35It looked empty, but behind a false wall,

0:07:35 > 0:07:40officers found eight migrants crammed into a secret compartment.

0:07:40 > 0:07:43Six hours in a compartment of that size,

0:07:43 > 0:07:46I can't imagine what it would be like to be in that position for that

0:07:46 > 0:07:51length of time. And it would also give you an idea of the type of

0:07:51 > 0:07:54conditions these crime groups are prepared to put these people into to

0:07:54 > 0:07:57line their own pockets, really.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00Knowing how desperate the migrants were to reach Britain,

0:08:00 > 0:08:04the smugglers were charging them four-figure sums.

0:08:04 > 0:08:11Anywhere in the region of £3,000 up to £8,000 would be paid by migrants

0:08:11 > 0:08:15for a passage, and that would guarantee getting them to a UK port.

0:08:17 > 0:08:20And when French intelligence suggested that the trafficking ring

0:08:20 > 0:08:26leader lived not in Dieppe, but in Derby, the NCA stepped up their investigation.

0:08:28 > 0:08:33The wanted man was 34-year-old Iraqi Rekawt Kayani.

0:08:33 > 0:08:36Quickly we established that he lived in a fairly, you know,

0:08:36 > 0:08:41modest house in the middle of a, you know, fairly modest estate.

0:08:41 > 0:08:43So we reported that back to the French.

0:08:43 > 0:08:48And at that point, that's when they engaged with us further to go out

0:08:48 > 0:08:50and actually arrest him.

0:08:51 > 0:08:54It was time to act.

0:08:54 > 0:08:55In an early-morning sweep,

0:08:55 > 0:09:01a team of NCA officers led by Mick Pope arrived at Kayani's door.

0:09:01 > 0:09:04Once inside, it was a straightforward arrest.

0:09:06 > 0:09:09There was certainly no resistance from him.

0:09:09 > 0:09:14He was obviously shocked and surprised that we'd turned up at his door at 8am.

0:09:14 > 0:09:17And he was taken to the police station in Derby city centre.

0:09:17 > 0:09:19And he said very, very little.

0:09:21 > 0:09:26The next day, Mick escorted Kayani to Westminster Magistrates' Court.

0:09:26 > 0:09:31A judge will eventually decide if he should be extradited to France.

0:09:31 > 0:09:35When you think about people being put in concealments like we saw in

0:09:35 > 0:09:40this case, it's only a matter of time before something happens to them,

0:09:40 > 0:09:41you know, injury or death.

0:09:41 > 0:09:44You know, we can't let that continue.

0:09:45 > 0:09:50Coming up... The hunt for a woman who trafficked her teenage victims

0:09:50 > 0:09:54into Europe leads British investigators all the way to western Africa.

0:09:55 > 0:10:00You really wonder how one human being could exploit and treat another

0:10:00 > 0:10:03human being in such a way and destroy their life.

0:10:12 > 0:10:13In West Yorkshire,

0:10:13 > 0:10:18PC Dave Lockwood is part of the team responsible for executing

0:10:18 > 0:10:20European Arrest Warrants.

0:10:20 > 0:10:24- Hello?- The unit tracks down around 100 people per year who are wanted

0:10:24 > 0:10:27for crimes committed in other countries.

0:10:27 > 0:10:28Nice and still.

0:10:37 > 0:10:39Today, they're looking for a man wanted in Lithuania.

0:10:41 > 0:10:44The intelligence has flagged up an address for him.

0:10:45 > 0:10:49Although they say we're pretty happy and they think he's at this address,

0:10:49 > 0:10:51he is linked to other parts of the UK.

0:10:51 > 0:10:57So I'm not going to get too excited thinking he's here.

0:10:57 > 0:11:02Because this might be a web of enquiries.

0:11:03 > 0:11:06- Do you want me to cover the back? - You can do for now.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20They check the front and back of the house.

0:11:22 > 0:11:26- RADIO BEEPS - I haven't gone into the yard, I'll see if I can get in.

0:11:27 > 0:11:30- OVER RADIO:- Yeah, they don't use the back door, it's locked.- Oh.

0:11:30 > 0:11:35- Yeah, there's a big fence up.- But this time, the team are out of luck.

0:11:35 > 0:11:37The house is empty.

0:11:37 > 0:11:40- OVER RADIO:- All right, mate, we'll come back in a bit.

0:11:40 > 0:11:44- All right.- But the Lithuanian man won't be forgotten.

0:11:44 > 0:11:47Dave will continue to hunt for him for as long as it takes.

0:11:51 > 0:11:55In the meantime, there are plenty more fugitives to go after.

0:11:58 > 0:12:01Next on the list is Klaudia Stepien.

0:12:01 > 0:12:05She faces two years in prison for theft and resisting arrest -

0:12:05 > 0:12:09crimes she committed in Poland almost ten years ago.

0:12:11 > 0:12:12Well, the picture's quite interesting.

0:12:12 > 0:12:16That's the picture that the Polish have provided.

0:12:16 > 0:12:19However, this lady is known to us here in West Yorkshire.

0:12:19 > 0:12:23She was arrested last year for being drunk and disorderly.

0:12:23 > 0:12:26So, they're two different pictures.

0:12:26 > 0:12:29If you'd have given me that picture and I'd seen that woman...

0:12:31 > 0:12:33Totally different, for me.

0:12:33 > 0:12:38Because she's resisted arrest in the past, Dave calls in backup.

0:12:39 > 0:12:41She's called Klaudia.

0:12:41 > 0:12:44The circumstances were, she stole a bike with others.

0:12:44 > 0:12:46Police have stopped her, she's tussled with them.

0:12:46 > 0:12:48She is... I'll give you her age.

0:12:48 > 0:12:51Born in '90, so she's not old.

0:12:51 > 0:12:54- Right? Are you happy? Any questions? - No.

0:12:54 > 0:12:56- Let's go.- Follow us in, Paul. - All right.- All right.

0:13:06 > 0:13:10Dave arrives at the address he's been told she could be living at.

0:13:12 > 0:13:15The other officers deploy round the back.

0:13:19 > 0:13:21It's clear whoever lives here has children.

0:13:23 > 0:13:24A little kid's bike.

0:13:25 > 0:13:27HE KNOCKS ON DOOR

0:13:33 > 0:13:34Go ahead.

0:13:42 > 0:13:47The house is empty. There's no-one home.

0:13:47 > 0:13:49Are you happy there's no-one in there?

0:13:49 > 0:13:52- There's a number of kids that are meant to live there.- It is lived-in.

0:13:52 > 0:13:54You know, there's sandwiches prepared there,

0:13:54 > 0:13:55it's like they've just gone out somewhere.

0:13:55 > 0:13:57Yeah, they'll probably come back later.

0:13:57 > 0:14:00If she's got a kid, she's not going to be home late, is she?

0:14:02 > 0:14:05So, it's not successful, but it's a good sign.

0:14:05 > 0:14:08She's living here. So at least we know we've got the right address,

0:14:08 > 0:14:10just the wrong time.

0:14:10 > 0:14:15Later that evening, Dave thinks he's spotted the suspect's car.

0:14:15 > 0:14:16That's it. Well spotted.

0:14:16 > 0:14:18But when he follows it back to the house,

0:14:18 > 0:14:20will he find the woman he's looking for?

0:14:26 > 0:14:31A staggering 75 million people a year travel through Heathrow,

0:14:31 > 0:14:35making it one of the world's busiest airports.

0:14:35 > 0:14:39But some passengers never pass through British border controls.

0:14:39 > 0:14:43They merely transit through the airport on their way to other countries.

0:14:44 > 0:14:48And it was in this zone, where no passports are checked,

0:14:48 > 0:14:52that Nigerian-born Franca Asemota seized a lucrative opportunity.

0:14:55 > 0:14:58She was living in Italy, where she gained residency,

0:14:58 > 0:15:03and essentially, on a day-to-day basis, would have looked like an

0:15:03 > 0:15:07everyday housewife. The reality was quite different.

0:15:07 > 0:15:12In fact, 38-year-old Asemota was the linchpin in an illegal operation to

0:15:12 > 0:15:17recruit and smuggle teenage girls out of Nigeria and into Europe -

0:15:17 > 0:15:20a notorious people trafficking route.

0:15:21 > 0:15:25This young woman fell victim to a similar gang.

0:15:25 > 0:15:30The person said that I'm going there to work in a supermarket as a

0:15:30 > 0:15:34salesgirl. So that is why I travelled.

0:15:34 > 0:15:40When I got to Russia, it was really, really hell for me.

0:15:40 > 0:15:44They said that I'm here to work for them as a prostitute.

0:15:45 > 0:15:51Benin City in southern Nigeria is a known hub for traffickers.

0:15:51 > 0:15:55This BBC crew spoke to one trafficker anonymously about how she

0:15:55 > 0:16:00entraps girls and sends them abroad to work as prostitutes.

0:16:00 > 0:16:02Sometimes we scout for them.

0:16:02 > 0:16:04Sometimes they look for us.

0:16:04 > 0:16:08At times I get 300-500 per person.

0:16:10 > 0:16:14Many traffickers use witch doctors to instil fear into their victims

0:16:14 > 0:16:16before they travel to Europe.

0:16:18 > 0:16:22They make them swear that when they get there that they will pay,

0:16:22 > 0:16:26and tell them if they do not pay, they will die.

0:16:29 > 0:16:34Asemota used techniques like this to groom and control her victims,

0:16:34 > 0:16:36selling them a false dream.

0:16:38 > 0:16:43The families, the victims were convinced there was a better life for them.

0:16:43 > 0:16:45From August 2011 onwards,

0:16:45 > 0:16:50Asemota accompanied her victims on numerous flights from Nigeria via

0:16:50 > 0:16:54Heathrow and on to mainland Europe.

0:16:54 > 0:16:58On arrival in the UK, because they were in transit,

0:16:58 > 0:17:01they would not pass through UK border controls.

0:17:01 > 0:17:07So at this point, she would then issue new, false British passports

0:17:07 > 0:17:11to the victims for entry into France.

0:17:12 > 0:17:16It was French border officers who first became suspicious of the

0:17:16 > 0:17:18trafficking plot.

0:17:18 > 0:17:23We were from that point able to then unravel this sophisticated plot.

0:17:25 > 0:17:31Investigators realised that Asemota had transported at least 40 women on

0:17:31 > 0:17:34eight or more smuggling runs.

0:17:34 > 0:17:37Five of the trafficked women were interviewed by specially-trained

0:17:37 > 0:17:41officers from the National Crime Agency.

0:17:41 > 0:17:43The accounts given by the victims were pivotal.

0:17:43 > 0:17:45They only said, really, they're coming for a better life.

0:17:45 > 0:17:51The excitement, the expectation of travelling to a new country.

0:17:51 > 0:17:55It's only when they find themselves further down the line that they are

0:17:55 > 0:18:00forced into the prostitution and the full extent of the situation they're

0:18:00 > 0:18:02in becomes apparent to them.

0:18:02 > 0:18:06Such a prolific trafficker had to be found at all costs.

0:18:06 > 0:18:10It was first thought that Asemota was in Italy.

0:18:10 > 0:18:15And as a result of developing information, along with Home Office,

0:18:15 > 0:18:19it was suspected that Asemota had moved back to her home city of

0:18:19 > 0:18:22Benin in Nigeria.

0:18:22 > 0:18:25The NCA widened their search,

0:18:25 > 0:18:30determined to use any means in their power to find her in her native Nigeria.

0:18:32 > 0:18:33In March 2014,

0:18:33 > 0:18:37we had great news and we'd a major breakthrough in our investigation.

0:18:37 > 0:18:40And a positive sighting of Asemota had been confirmed.

0:18:42 > 0:18:45Coming up... Asemota is cornered in Nigeria,

0:18:45 > 0:18:48but she's half a world away from the fugitive hunters,

0:18:48 > 0:18:51and determined to get off the hook.

0:18:51 > 0:18:55Asemota wanted to exploit every opportunity and look at every loophole.

0:19:02 > 0:19:06When law enforcement officers search for wanted men and women,

0:19:06 > 0:19:11the first thing they look at is how they spend money and communicate

0:19:11 > 0:19:12with others.

0:19:12 > 0:19:17Ultimately, you leave a footprint somewhere in this day and age.

0:19:17 > 0:19:20You're looking for the whole story of their life and the pattern of

0:19:20 > 0:19:22their life.

0:19:22 > 0:19:26We're getting into people's bank accounts, their tax records,

0:19:26 > 0:19:29their spending habits - this is quite personal stuff.

0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's getting harder to disappear.

0:19:32 > 0:19:35If you're wanted, the chances are you'll be found.

0:19:39 > 0:19:43What's more, fugitive hunters now have the capability to track criminals

0:19:43 > 0:19:47and their money in real time around the world.

0:19:48 > 0:19:52Bank accounts have a huge amount of information that is useful to

0:19:52 > 0:19:57law enforcement. It can allow the police to look at your whereabouts

0:19:57 > 0:19:59and your spending patterns,

0:19:59 > 0:20:04which can be very useful for them in trying to figure out how to get to you.

0:20:05 > 0:20:08But it's not just bank accounts.

0:20:08 > 0:20:13Every pound we spend on everyday items leaves its own trace.

0:20:13 > 0:20:17Supermarket loyalty cards, subscriber information for,

0:20:17 > 0:20:23you know, TV and video channels, social media, tax records.

0:20:23 > 0:20:27Anything and everything where you leave, particularly an electronic footprint,

0:20:27 > 0:20:29then we can check that.

0:20:29 > 0:20:34The day-to-day lives of friends and family also come under scrutiny.

0:20:34 > 0:20:38Law enforcement might also be interested in that criminal's associates.

0:20:38 > 0:20:41It might just be family members or friends,

0:20:41 > 0:20:44but there may come a time when law enforcement takes an interest in

0:20:44 > 0:20:50those bank accounts because that person is being used as a conduit for spending

0:20:50 > 0:20:52on the part of the criminal who is on the run.

0:20:52 > 0:20:54And for the most serious cases,

0:20:54 > 0:20:59technology will now pinpoint a fugitive's exact location as they

0:20:59 > 0:21:00make a phone call.

0:21:00 > 0:21:05Going to the far end of the scale, if it warrants it, lifetime cell site analysis.

0:21:05 > 0:21:08So we can tell where you are at any given second, like you see in films.

0:21:08 > 0:21:12So, no secrets there, we see it in Hollywood every single day.

0:21:12 > 0:21:13Just like in the movies,

0:21:13 > 0:21:18a quick card payment or phone call can be all it takes to find a fugitive.

0:21:19 > 0:21:22You're putting a big sign pointing to yourself.

0:21:22 > 0:21:24And because of that, that will get reported,

0:21:24 > 0:21:27and we do have lots of cases and evidence around this,

0:21:27 > 0:21:28and we'll find you.

0:21:32 > 0:21:34Over a decade ago,

0:21:34 > 0:21:39the Met Police's Elite Flying Squad had to rely on more old-fashioned

0:21:39 > 0:21:43policing methods to catch some of Britain's most hardened criminals.

0:21:43 > 0:21:49In 2003, they arrested these two - Noel Cunningham and Clifford Hobbs -

0:21:49 > 0:21:54as they tried to steal more than £1 million from a cash-in-transit van

0:21:54 > 0:21:55in Brixton, south London.

0:21:57 > 0:22:00I would describe them as old-school armed robbers.

0:22:00 > 0:22:03They were very...

0:22:03 > 0:22:05They were very well-organised, their planning was very good,

0:22:05 > 0:22:07they knew exactly what they wanted to do.

0:22:08 > 0:22:13Despite being captured, their scheming continued from behind bars.

0:22:14 > 0:22:16As they were taken to court to stand trial,

0:22:16 > 0:22:21a violent gang hijacked their prison van and helped them escape.

0:22:21 > 0:22:22Open the hatches!

0:22:22 > 0:22:25I was in my office, it was shortly after 9am,

0:22:25 > 0:22:29I received a call from officers at Tower Bridge to explain to me two

0:22:29 > 0:22:32Flying Squad prisoners had actually been involved in an escape

0:22:32 > 0:22:37from the prison van on the way from prison to the court,

0:22:37 > 0:22:39and that they were on the run at that time.

0:22:39 > 0:22:45News of the UK's first armed prison van breakout hit the headlines.

0:22:46 > 0:22:49At six o'clock, these are tonight's top stories...

0:22:49 > 0:22:53On the run - three escape after an armed hijack of a prison van.

0:22:54 > 0:22:57I must stress that obviously the people that are involved in the incident

0:22:57 > 0:22:59today are very, very dangerous,

0:22:59 > 0:23:02and we can only assume that Hobbs and Cunningham are going to be dangerous

0:23:02 > 0:23:05as well, so please do not approach them, let the police do their job.

0:23:07 > 0:23:12Detective Superintendent Mick Allen knew he had to move quickly.

0:23:13 > 0:23:17It was quite clear that with the level of sophistication and planning

0:23:17 > 0:23:21that went into this that they weren't going to stay in the country too long.

0:23:24 > 0:23:27The Met turned to the public for help.

0:23:28 > 0:23:32Now, give us a description of the two guys you're most interested in, Cunningham and Hobbs.

0:23:32 > 0:23:36Bearing in mind this is about a year old, but we don't think they'll have changed a great deal.

0:23:36 > 0:23:40- Cunningham is 43...- He's the one on the left?- He's the one on the left, with the glasses.

0:23:40 > 0:23:42He's about 5'11" tall, quite an athletic build.

0:23:42 > 0:23:44We think he's probably very similar to that now.

0:23:44 > 0:23:48Whereas Hobbs is 44, 5'10" and rather larger.

0:23:48 > 0:23:51And he certainly had a fair amount of weight on him,

0:23:51 > 0:23:53even if he's tried to slim now, he's probably still got a bit of a beer

0:23:53 > 0:23:56- gut on him.- I think it would be very difficult for him to slim down,

0:23:56 > 0:23:58he's probably about the same, if not bigger, now.

0:23:58 > 0:24:01I think there was probably about four or five officers there,

0:24:01 > 0:24:03we received quite a lot of information that they may actually not be

0:24:03 > 0:24:07in the UK and they may be in other parts of other countries.

0:24:07 > 0:24:09But despite the calls,

0:24:09 > 0:24:13another year would pass with the Flying Squad no closer to catching them.

0:24:14 > 0:24:18They believed Cunningham and Hobbs had split up and gone to ground

0:24:18 > 0:24:20somewhere in Europe.

0:24:20 > 0:24:23It was time to bring in the specialist agencies.

0:24:23 > 0:24:27One of the good measures for us is to see where the first bits of

0:24:27 > 0:24:30anonymous intelligence come through to suggest where someone is.

0:24:30 > 0:24:31And in this case, it was Spain.

0:24:31 > 0:24:34So we initially started focusing our attentions there.

0:24:37 > 0:24:39Their instincts were right.

0:24:39 > 0:24:44And in 2007, investigators, with the help of the Spanish police,

0:24:44 > 0:24:47tracked Hobbs to Malaga, on Spain's Costa del Sol.

0:24:51 > 0:24:55He was arrested and sent back to Britain to face justice.

0:24:55 > 0:24:56When you receive information like that,

0:24:56 > 0:25:00it's exceptionally gratifying because you know just how much hard work has

0:25:00 > 0:25:02been put in by a lot of dedicated officers.

0:25:04 > 0:25:07But Cunningham was still on the run.

0:25:07 > 0:25:09Investigators were receiving reports

0:25:09 > 0:25:12linking him to locations across the globe.

0:25:14 > 0:25:16There were suggestions he was in Ireland, in Dubai,

0:25:16 > 0:25:18even potentially in Jamaica.

0:25:18 > 0:25:21So all those leads were followed up and investigated.

0:25:21 > 0:25:24And then it's perhaps fair to say there was a little bit of a lull.

0:25:26 > 0:25:28Then, in 2009,

0:25:28 > 0:25:32new intelligence linked the armed robber to the Netherlands.

0:25:32 > 0:25:37His image was circulated amongst the police in Amsterdam.

0:25:37 > 0:25:39Now it was down to the Dutch police.

0:25:39 > 0:25:42Would their officers be able to track down the criminal

0:25:42 > 0:25:45who'd been on the run for six years?

0:25:51 > 0:25:55Some fugitives living in Britain are wanted for crimes

0:25:55 > 0:25:58which took place many years earlier.

0:25:58 > 0:26:01And it can come as a shock when their past catches up with them.

0:26:02 > 0:26:04That's it, well spotted.

0:26:04 > 0:26:09In Leeds, PC Dave Lockwood is looking for a woman wanted in Poland

0:26:09 > 0:26:12for crimes committed ten years ago.

0:26:12 > 0:26:16Earlier in the day, he found her house empty.

0:26:16 > 0:26:19But now he's spotted her car and followed her home.

0:26:21 > 0:26:24We have to bear in mind, there's definitely one,

0:26:24 > 0:26:26possibly two young children in the house.

0:26:26 > 0:26:29So it's 9.15pm,

0:26:29 > 0:26:31hopefully they'll have put them to bed

0:26:31 > 0:26:33by the time we knock on the door and we can talk to the adults,

0:26:33 > 0:26:36I don't want children in the way if we can help it.

0:26:36 > 0:26:40The woman was convicted for theft and resisting arrest.

0:26:42 > 0:26:44OK, are you happy with that?

0:26:44 > 0:26:48As a precaution, Dave's called in support from local officers.

0:26:50 > 0:26:53Right, OK. I'll just tuck down and you can tuck in behind us.

0:26:53 > 0:26:54All right, cheers.

0:26:56 > 0:26:58With the team in place, Dave approaches.

0:27:08 > 0:27:10I don't want to knock too loud with the kids in there,

0:27:10 > 0:27:13but at the same time, I'd like her to answer the door.

0:27:13 > 0:27:16Hello, sorry for troubling you, it's the police.

0:27:16 > 0:27:18- Are you OK?- Yes, I'm fine.

0:27:18 > 0:27:20Are we OK to come in and have a chat with you, please?

0:27:20 > 0:27:23- For who?- Well, I think it's yourself. What's your name, love?

0:27:23 > 0:27:25- What's your name?- Klaudia.

0:27:25 > 0:27:27Klaudia, yeah, I need to come in and speak with you, please.

0:27:27 > 0:27:29OK, do you want to put your kids to bed?

0:27:29 > 0:27:30Hiya, are you OK?

0:27:32 > 0:27:34We'll wait down here for you.

0:27:36 > 0:27:39The police visit has unsettled the children.

0:27:39 > 0:27:42- Is she OK?- No, she's worried.

0:27:42 > 0:27:43- She's worried?- Yeah.- OK.

0:27:44 > 0:27:46Klaudia, did you say it was Klaudia?

0:27:46 > 0:27:48- Yeah.- What's your full name, please?

0:27:48 > 0:27:52- Klaudia Stepien.- And your date of birth?

0:27:52 > 0:27:542nd of February, '90.

0:27:54 > 0:27:56Right, I've got some really bad news I think

0:27:56 > 0:27:58that's going to surprise you and shock you.

0:27:58 > 0:28:01- You're Polish, yes?- Yes, I'm Polish.

0:28:01 > 0:28:04Poland have issued an arrest warrant for yourself,

0:28:04 > 0:28:05they want you arrested.

0:28:05 > 0:28:07Is this something you know about?

0:28:07 > 0:28:08No.

0:28:08 > 0:28:11Right. They've issued a warrant for your arrest

0:28:11 > 0:28:14because they want you to go back to Poland to sort a problem out.

0:28:14 > 0:28:17Is your husband here? Do you speak English?

0:28:17 > 0:28:18Yeah, I speak English.

0:28:18 > 0:28:21I'm not going to do anything. Do you want to get the kids to bed?

0:28:21 > 0:28:24Get the kids sorted out, and then we'll talk, OK?

0:28:24 > 0:28:26I'm trying to deal with this,

0:28:26 > 0:28:28the kid's upset, she's trying to deal with the kid

0:28:28 > 0:28:32and I don't want to... I don't want to interfere with her.

0:28:32 > 0:28:35Sit down in one area for us.

0:28:35 > 0:28:38This visit from the police has come as a shock for the family.

0:28:38 > 0:28:41Is your daughter OK? Is she in bed OK now?

0:28:41 > 0:28:43Yes, we were watching TV.

0:28:43 > 0:28:45Right, I want to make sure she's all right

0:28:45 > 0:28:49- so we don't have to worry about her, OK? Let's take a seat.- Yes.- Right.

0:28:52 > 0:28:55The Polish authorities have issued a warrant for your arrest, OK?

0:28:55 > 0:28:57There is no bother here,

0:28:57 > 0:29:00there's nothing that's happened in the UK that the police here

0:29:00 > 0:29:02are wanting to talk to you about.

0:29:02 > 0:29:05But because Poland has issued this warrant,

0:29:05 > 0:29:07it's been authorised here in the UK,

0:29:07 > 0:29:10so I've received the paperwork and been asked to come and arrest you.

0:29:10 > 0:29:12Do you know about this problem?

0:29:12 > 0:29:13Has it come as a shock,

0:29:13 > 0:29:15or did you know there was something going on in Poland?

0:29:15 > 0:29:17No, that is a long time ago, yes.

0:29:17 > 0:29:19So that is why it is a shock, really.

0:29:19 > 0:29:26The Polish authorities are wanting you to serve a custodial sentence in

0:29:26 > 0:29:29Poland for this offence, even though it was nine years ago.

0:29:29 > 0:29:32That is what they want. I don't know what's going to happen,

0:29:32 > 0:29:35because it's my job to find you and send you to court.

0:29:35 > 0:29:37Have you calmed down now, do you understand?

0:29:37 > 0:29:39Have you got any questions you want to ask us?

0:29:39 > 0:29:41Are you all right looking after the daughter?

0:29:41 > 0:29:42Is there anything for work?

0:29:42 > 0:29:44Yeah, he's my husband.

0:29:47 > 0:29:49Yeah, and I apologise for the timing

0:29:49 > 0:29:51and I apologise that it has happened,

0:29:51 > 0:29:53I'm just doing the job. I know it's not ideal

0:29:53 > 0:29:55because you've got a family.

0:29:55 > 0:29:57Right, I'm arresting you on a European Arrest Warrant

0:29:57 > 0:30:00for an offence of theft and resisting arrest,

0:30:00 > 0:30:02which is what I've explained to you.

0:30:02 > 0:30:03You do not have to say anything,

0:30:03 > 0:30:07but anything you do say may be given in evidence, do you understand?

0:30:10 > 0:30:12I deal with these a lot,

0:30:12 > 0:30:14and I don't see any reason why you can't come home tomorrow

0:30:14 > 0:30:17as long as you can satisfy your bail conditions, OK?

0:30:17 > 0:30:19I know it's probably going to be a horrible night for you

0:30:19 > 0:30:23and a horrible day, but you should be coming back home tomorrow.

0:30:23 > 0:30:26OK? As long as you can sort it out with the court.

0:30:28 > 0:30:29Dave makes sure the woman has an opportunity

0:30:29 > 0:30:32to say goodbye to her children

0:30:32 > 0:30:34before being taken into custody.

0:30:34 > 0:30:37I knew it was going to be emotional, but you don't get used to it,

0:30:37 > 0:30:40even after all this time. It's not nice sometimes, what we have to do.

0:30:40 > 0:30:43But I can't pick and choose, can I? I've got to...

0:30:45 > 0:30:48I've got to deal with the ones that I have to deal with.

0:30:51 > 0:30:53- Are you OK now?- Yeah.- OK.

0:30:58 > 0:31:00Watch your head.

0:31:00 > 0:31:02OK, I'll see you when you get down there.

0:31:02 > 0:31:04They'll be watching you from the other side, OK?

0:31:04 > 0:31:06I'll let Elland Road know.

0:31:06 > 0:31:10She's taken to the police station where she'll spend the night

0:31:10 > 0:31:12before being taken to London in the morning,

0:31:12 > 0:31:14where her case will be heard.

0:31:21 > 0:31:25In London, DS Pete Rance has received an urgent call

0:31:25 > 0:31:28from colleagues on the Met's extradition team.

0:31:28 > 0:31:29All right, we'll go on a blue light there

0:31:29 > 0:31:31and see if we can get him and get him out.

0:31:31 > 0:31:34A fugitive whose extradition has already been ordered

0:31:34 > 0:31:36is refusing to leave the country.

0:31:39 > 0:31:42We've got notification from one of our team who's out at Heathrow

0:31:42 > 0:31:46to oversee the extradition of a prisoner back to Turkey,

0:31:46 > 0:31:48but the prisoner hasn't turned up.

0:31:48 > 0:31:51He's on bail, he hasn't turned up.

0:31:51 > 0:31:55The flight's due to leave in an hour and 15 minutes.

0:31:55 > 0:31:58The man they are after has been convicted in Turkey.

0:31:58 > 0:32:00He killed one pedestrian and injured another

0:32:00 > 0:32:04riding a motorcycle whilst drunk.

0:32:04 > 0:32:06But now he's refusing to go back to serve a sentence

0:32:06 > 0:32:09of three years and three months.

0:32:09 > 0:32:12The officer who's out at the airport has established contact

0:32:12 > 0:32:14with this fella's wife,

0:32:14 > 0:32:16who's told us that he's at the address

0:32:16 > 0:32:18but he's saying that he's not willing to return to Turkey.

0:32:18 > 0:32:22He is aware that she's speaking to the police on the phone.

0:32:22 > 0:32:26This puts his wife in a potentially dangerous situation.

0:32:26 > 0:32:29It's an emergency for us to get there to make sure

0:32:29 > 0:32:32that she's safe and well as well as him.

0:32:35 > 0:32:39They arrive at the address and make their way to the apartment.

0:32:43 > 0:32:45Myself and two colleagues walked through,

0:32:45 > 0:32:49and immediately saw Mehmet Ciftcioglu

0:32:49 > 0:32:53sitting on a sofa in the front room of the property,

0:32:53 > 0:32:54just in his underpants,

0:32:54 > 0:32:57drinking alcohol from a glass.

0:32:58 > 0:33:01You could smell booze on him straightaway,

0:33:01 > 0:33:03so I knew that he'd been drinking heavily.

0:33:03 > 0:33:06- All right, how are you?- I'm OK, sir. Thank you.

0:33:06 > 0:33:09You're supposed to be at the airport, you know that?

0:33:09 > 0:33:11Ah, yes, sir.

0:33:11 > 0:33:14You have to go to Turkey today, you have to go to Turkey today.

0:33:14 > 0:33:18So we can slow things down and you can say goodbye to your wife...

0:33:18 > 0:33:20- What, now?- Yeah, today.

0:33:20 > 0:33:22He was asking whether we intended

0:33:22 > 0:33:25to pull him straight out of the address, and I said to him that...

0:33:25 > 0:33:27As I say, he was in his underpants when we got there,

0:33:27 > 0:33:30so it's difficult to force somebody into their clothes,

0:33:30 > 0:33:32so you're trying to get their consent to get dressed,

0:33:32 > 0:33:34but we managed to do that.

0:33:34 > 0:33:36I said to him, "If you get dressed,

0:33:36 > 0:33:38"you can have a half hour, you know,

0:33:38 > 0:33:41"with your son to say goodbye to your son and your partner."

0:33:41 > 0:33:43You need to have some respect for us now, OK?

0:33:43 > 0:33:44I want you to get dressed,

0:33:44 > 0:33:47and then you can have some time with your son.

0:33:47 > 0:33:50If not, you will have to come with us, OK?

0:33:50 > 0:33:54He was extremely drunk, his behaviour was extremely erratic.

0:33:54 > 0:33:56One moment he was laughing,

0:33:56 > 0:33:59one moment he was crying and picking up his small son,

0:33:59 > 0:34:02who was another consideration, obviously.

0:34:02 > 0:34:04We are going now. We have been here nearly two hours, OK?

0:34:04 > 0:34:05So say goodbye now.

0:34:08 > 0:34:10This is...

0:34:10 > 0:34:12Listen, listen.

0:34:12 > 0:34:14Enough, OK?

0:34:14 > 0:34:15He was desperate not to return.

0:34:15 > 0:34:18He faces a three-and-a-half-year sentence

0:34:18 > 0:34:21for causing death by dangerous driving.

0:34:21 > 0:34:26He is convicted of mowing down two people in Turkey when he was drunk.

0:34:30 > 0:34:32Do you enjoy these ones?

0:34:32 > 0:34:36- No, not at all.- Far from it. - Stop, stop.

0:34:36 > 0:34:40The man is led away in handcuffs, but he won't go quietly.

0:34:40 > 0:34:42It is a pain...

0:34:42 > 0:34:43We get to the car.

0:34:43 > 0:34:46It's your fault, you're fighting us, so stop fighting.

0:34:46 > 0:34:49- Sorry?- You're fighting us.

0:34:49 > 0:34:50No, no!

0:34:53 > 0:34:56He's kicking.

0:34:56 > 0:34:58Finally, they get him into the car

0:34:58 > 0:35:00and he's driven straight to the airport.

0:35:00 > 0:35:04Mehmet Ciftcioglu, guilty of death by dangerous driving,

0:35:04 > 0:35:07is on his way back to a Turkish prison.

0:35:12 > 0:35:17In 2003, two audacious criminals, Noel Cunningham and Clifford Hobbs,

0:35:17 > 0:35:20were on their way to court.

0:35:20 > 0:35:23They were on trial for the attempted theft of over a million pounds.

0:35:25 > 0:35:28But when their prison van was hijacked by armed men,

0:35:28 > 0:35:30Hobbs and Cunningham escaped.

0:35:32 > 0:35:36Instead of lying low, the pair fled abroad and went on the run.

0:35:39 > 0:35:42Investigators launched a global manhunt,

0:35:42 > 0:35:47and in 2007, Hobbs was arrested in Spain.

0:35:47 > 0:35:49But Cunningham was nowhere to be found.

0:35:53 > 0:35:56Then, six years later, in Amsterdam,

0:35:56 > 0:36:00police arrested a man for petty shoplifting.

0:36:00 > 0:36:03He was using a false name and passport.

0:36:03 > 0:36:06Unfortunately, at that point, they hadn't realised who he was

0:36:06 > 0:36:09or that he was wanted, and he'd been released.

0:36:09 > 0:36:11They hadn't taken his fingerprints or anything like that

0:36:11 > 0:36:15because it was just a street check, you know, it was very low level.

0:36:15 > 0:36:17Although the shoplifter was released,

0:36:17 > 0:36:20the British passport he was carrying at the time

0:36:20 > 0:36:23was checked back in the UK and linked to Cunningham.

0:36:28 > 0:36:31British police alerted their colleagues in the Netherlands.

0:36:33 > 0:36:37The Dutch police then circulated his image amongst local officers,

0:36:37 > 0:36:39local bobbies on the ground,

0:36:39 > 0:36:41the ones that were going to be doing the street patrols.

0:36:41 > 0:36:43And that's invaluable for us,

0:36:43 > 0:36:46because that's eyes on the street 24/7.

0:36:46 > 0:36:48To know that there's people actually out there

0:36:48 > 0:36:50proactively looking for Cunningham,

0:36:50 > 0:36:53that makes all the difference for us.

0:36:53 > 0:36:57At the police station in Amstelveen, just outside the capital,

0:36:57 > 0:37:02district agent Ferry den Edel was at his desk.

0:37:02 > 0:37:04I was in the police station

0:37:04 > 0:37:08when I was visited by two detectives from the quick response unit.

0:37:08 > 0:37:13And they tell me that they are looking for Cunningham.

0:37:13 > 0:37:16I got that picture,

0:37:16 > 0:37:19and I make a copy of that, and I put it in my jacket.

0:37:19 > 0:37:25And then about half an hour later, I go out to the shopping centre.

0:37:27 > 0:37:30Ferry's local beat took him to an upmarket shopping precinct

0:37:30 > 0:37:32in Amstelveen.

0:37:32 > 0:37:38I walked from the brasserie, and then to the tapas there,

0:37:38 > 0:37:40the BLVD cafe,

0:37:40 > 0:37:42I heard a few guys talking English.

0:37:44 > 0:37:47And I spotted Cunningham.

0:37:47 > 0:37:52Amazingly, a mere 30 minutes after picking up the fugitive's mug shot,

0:37:52 > 0:37:55this local bobby had chanced upon him.

0:37:55 > 0:38:00And I take the photo of Cunningham out of my pocket, and I look again,

0:38:00 > 0:38:04and then I know it for sure, it's Cunningham.

0:38:04 > 0:38:05Cunningham obviously felt safe,

0:38:05 > 0:38:10he felt that he was able to do that without any risk of being arrested.

0:38:10 > 0:38:12Or at least that's what he thought.

0:38:12 > 0:38:14Ferry made a call to the SWAT team,

0:38:14 > 0:38:18and in minutes, the precinct was swarming with cops

0:38:18 > 0:38:20and Cunningham was in cuffs.

0:38:20 > 0:38:21This time he wasn't getting away.

0:38:24 > 0:38:26It's very unique when you've got a picture,

0:38:26 > 0:38:30and within half an hour, you've spotted the guy,

0:38:30 > 0:38:33and two hours later, he was imprisoned.

0:38:33 > 0:38:38He'd evaded elite teams of detectives for six years.

0:38:38 > 0:38:40But Cunningham's arrest by a local patrolman

0:38:40 > 0:38:43was more than just a lucky break.

0:38:43 > 0:38:47It is lucky in the sense that that officer was there at the right time

0:38:47 > 0:38:48to actually spot the individual.

0:38:48 > 0:38:51But the work that goes into making sure they're aware of them,

0:38:51 > 0:38:53and the work that goes into putting that person's face out there

0:38:53 > 0:38:56isn't lucky at all.

0:38:56 > 0:39:00And six years on from that dramatic escape from a prison van in London,

0:39:00 > 0:39:05officers from the Flying Squad were finally able to close the case.

0:39:05 > 0:39:07There quite clearly is a great deal of satisfaction

0:39:07 > 0:39:09and a great deal of closure, I suspect,

0:39:09 > 0:39:11because a lot of work has been put into that

0:39:11 > 0:39:13by a lot of different officers over the years,

0:39:13 > 0:39:17and it's something that we just won't let go, and so, yeah,

0:39:17 > 0:39:19it's another chapter that's closed.

0:39:24 > 0:39:26Back in 2014,

0:39:26 > 0:39:29British and Nigerian investigators had managed to track down

0:39:29 > 0:39:33prolific people-trafficker Franca Asemota.

0:39:33 > 0:39:37She was exploiting Nigerian teenage girls,

0:39:37 > 0:39:40smuggling them through Heathrow and into Europe,

0:39:40 > 0:39:43bound for the sex trade.

0:39:43 > 0:39:46But the 38-year-old had fled Europe

0:39:46 > 0:39:49and was now hiding out in her native Nigeria.

0:39:49 > 0:39:51In March, 2014, we had great news

0:39:51 > 0:39:54that we'd had a major breakthrough in our investigation,

0:39:54 > 0:39:57and a positive sighting of Asemota had been confirmed.

0:39:59 > 0:40:01NCA officers tracked Asemota down.

0:40:04 > 0:40:08And she was eventually arrested on money-laundering charges.

0:40:12 > 0:40:18Investigators wanted her extradited to Britain, but she had other plans.

0:40:18 > 0:40:21Asemota wanted to exploit every opportunity

0:40:21 > 0:40:24and look at every loophole to avoid extradition.

0:40:26 > 0:40:29But her efforts to evade justice were short-lived.

0:40:31 > 0:40:33Everything she tried failed.

0:40:33 > 0:40:36And that's when it's the most satisfying moment,

0:40:36 > 0:40:40because once she's on that aircraft coming back to the UK,

0:40:40 > 0:40:45she's in our custody, and we have complete control of the situation.

0:40:45 > 0:40:48This time, there was no dodging immigration officials

0:40:48 > 0:40:53when Asemota touched down at Heathrow in January, 2016.

0:40:53 > 0:40:55From the moment she came off the plane,

0:40:55 > 0:40:57there was an air of resignation.

0:40:57 > 0:41:02And what was interesting is, no element of compassion,

0:41:02 > 0:41:04no element of remorse.

0:41:04 > 0:41:07As she was walking through the airport at Heathrow,

0:41:07 > 0:41:09the reality set in.

0:41:09 > 0:41:12I think for the first time over the 12-month period

0:41:12 > 0:41:17that we'd identified her, that she'd been arrested,

0:41:17 > 0:41:18held in custody in Nigeria,

0:41:18 > 0:41:21I think she suddenly realised the game's up.

0:41:24 > 0:41:27Strong evidence from five of her victims

0:41:27 > 0:41:31gave officers hope that she would be locked up for a long time.

0:41:31 > 0:41:34We do find that victims of human trafficking,

0:41:34 > 0:41:37when they see the people that have been exploiting them,

0:41:37 > 0:41:40and treating them in the way that they have done before court,

0:41:40 > 0:41:44come across as confident, but extremely convincing witnesses.

0:41:46 > 0:41:50We know the five victims are now safely settled in the UK

0:41:50 > 0:41:52and living normal lives.

0:41:52 > 0:41:55But can you ever really recover and repair the damage

0:41:55 > 0:41:57that has been caused to those victims?

0:41:57 > 0:41:59Her crime has no place in the 21st century.

0:42:03 > 0:42:06Asemota had condemned scores of innocent teenage girls

0:42:06 > 0:42:11to servitude far from home. Now her fate was sealed,

0:42:11 > 0:42:14thanks to the tenacity of the fugitive hunters.

0:42:15 > 0:42:18Had we not brought her to justice,

0:42:18 > 0:42:19she would have been at liberty

0:42:19 > 0:42:23to potentially continue trafficking other victims.

0:42:23 > 0:42:26So that's the most satisfying part,

0:42:26 > 0:42:31that it was the final end chapter to closing that organised crime group.

0:42:36 > 0:42:38In August, 2016,

0:42:38 > 0:42:42Franca Asemota was jailed for 22 years in a British prison -

0:42:42 > 0:42:45one of the longest sentences ever to be handed down

0:42:45 > 0:42:49for an organised immigration crime.

0:42:49 > 0:42:53Two months later, Rekawt Kayani was extradited to France

0:42:53 > 0:42:55to face charges of people-smuggling.

0:42:57 > 0:42:59Abdullah Naeem,

0:42:59 > 0:43:02who was accused of kidnapping a man on the streets of Paris,

0:43:02 > 0:43:07was extradited back to France to face trial in January, 2017.

0:43:09 > 0:43:11That same month,

0:43:11 > 0:43:13Klaudia Stepien was sent back to Poland

0:43:13 > 0:43:15to serve the rest of her sentence.

0:43:19 > 0:43:22- Get in!- And Noel Cunningham,

0:43:22 > 0:43:25who was busted out of a prison van on the streets of London,

0:43:25 > 0:43:29was caged for 18 years back in 2010.

0:43:29 > 0:43:31His fellow fugitive, Clifford Hobbs,

0:43:31 > 0:43:34pleaded guilty in court to conspiracy to rob

0:43:34 > 0:43:36and escaping lawful custody.

0:43:36 > 0:43:38He was jailed for life.