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 > 0:00:08Hands out now. Hands out!
0:00:08 > 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.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32Across Europe, there are hundreds of British criminals also trying to escape justice.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37From the sun-drenched Costas, where the villains seek a life of luxury...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..to the busy streets of the Dutch capital,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43where many continue their life of crime.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We join the crack teams hunting them down.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51When you take the risk to come to Amsterdam as a criminal,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53there's a high chance that we'll 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 > 0:01:04This is how the police take down the fugitives...
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Police officer.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07..both at home and abroad.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11If you're thinking of running, don't.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13We will find you.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15We will bring you back.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Coming up on today's programme...
0:01:25 > 0:01:29It's an early start for the Metropolitan Police's extradition team,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32searching for a vicious man hiding from the law.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36He is wanted for an assault back home in Lithuania.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41There's a big knife there. You just never know what's going to happen,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43so you've just got to be aware of what's around you.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46In Leeds, the family man guilty of petty theft.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Three offences of shoplifting.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Having to face the fact that crime doesn't pay.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Quite a tragedy for that family, but he brought it upon himself.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And officers with superpowers
0:01:57 > 0:02:02spotting wanted men and women on Dutch and British streets.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05We are really, really good at actually finding these people
0:02:05 > 0:02:07and bringing them to justice.
0:02:12 > 0:02:19Over 12,000 fugitives from other European countries are thought to be hiding out in the UK.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Many choose to live amongst London's population of almost nine million.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Catching them is the work of the Metropolitan Police's extradition unit,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32a dedicated team of almost 30 detectives.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36We don't want criminals thinking
0:02:36 > 0:02:39that the UK is a safe haven for them to come to.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And, of course, if you've got somebody who's committing burglary
0:02:42 > 0:02:45or robbery or a serious sex offender, the likelihood is
0:02:45 > 0:02:49they're going to be committing that crime here in the UK.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Today, like every day, detectives from the extradition unit
0:02:53 > 0:02:57have a long list of European arrest warrants to serve.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02On the early shift, DCs Jamie Darby and Dave Salmon
0:03:02 > 0:03:06are on their way to Newham in East London.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10The first fugitive they're after, Jose Trigo Raul,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13has already been found guilty of a violent crime.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I think he's from Angola originally.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19He's wanted by Portugal for a European arrest warrant.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Armed robbery and assault with a knife.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28And he's got a six-year sentence to serve.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The wanted man has been found guilty of 11 offences,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37many of them violent.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39The officers need to be careful.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45When they arrive, Jamie deploys his team to cover all the exits.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Tom, this is the address just here on the corner.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Number 2. If you don't mind, would you stand on the corner?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Yeah.- If you hear anyone come out the back,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Officer Willis is just going to be just here.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Just give us a quick shout. - Yeah, sure.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We're going to knock on the door, me, Dave and Ed,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and we'll see who comes to the door and take it from there, OK?
0:04:05 > 0:04:06- Okey doke.- OK.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A lot of foreign national offenders,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14they are up and out very early in the morning.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18So we have found that doing a very early morning call
0:04:18 > 0:04:21enables us to often get people in.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Whereas if we go later during the day, they're not going to be there.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29In this case, the early start pays off.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It is 5:50am in the morning and there's obviously someone at home.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Morning. Police officers.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- Oh, hi.- Who lives here, my friend?
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- Me and my son.- The man who answers isn't their target.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48He's only recently moved in...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52..but Jamie spots some letters addressed to the fugitive.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Who are the letters for? Can I have a look? Do you mind?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Yeah.- Has anyone ever come round to pick any letters up or anything?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- No, no.- The officers seize the letters,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05hoping they'll provide vital information about Raul's location.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He obviously lived there at some time because he's got lots of post
0:05:08 > 0:05:11in his name, so it's obviously an old address.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The officers that I have in the extradition unit
0:05:13 > 0:05:17are very, very experienced and I think over the years
0:05:17 > 0:05:20they have learnt that if you go in
0:05:20 > 0:05:25and treat people with respect in the way that they should be,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30you get a much better response from the occupants of the building.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And it means that they will cooperate with you as well,
0:05:33 > 0:05:34more often than not.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Often you'll get some information that will give you new leads,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41so that we're able to progress that investigation.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Although this fugitive remains on the run for now,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48the team already have another criminal in their sights.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Next on the list is a wanted man who has fled from Lithuania.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It's a gentleman wanted for theft and actual bodily harm.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02We have some intel from the Department for Work and Pensions that he's...
0:06:02 > 0:06:04So we're going to give it a knock.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Lithuania have sent over an image.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12The fugitive, Lithuanian Eligijus Petrikonis,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15has been found guilty of fraud and assault back home.
0:06:16 > 0:06:22So he's got a remaining sentence of two years and three months to serve...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26..and it looks like he was sentenced in his absence.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29So he's fled Lithuania...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34..and he's popped up over here.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38From the information on the warrant,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41it looks like another potentially dangerous job.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46You just think about who's going to be in the flat.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50You can knock on a door and there can be one person in there,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54or you can have about six or seven people come out of different rooms.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Especially when we knock on the doors,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58there's normally only two or three of us,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01so you've got to be aware of who is going to be at the address.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04You go and knock on the door of someone who's wanted for GBH
0:07:04 > 0:07:07or a robbery where a knife's been used,
0:07:07 > 0:07:08you think a bit more about it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Later, the team face a race across town during rush hour
0:07:14 > 0:07:19to get to Petrikonis's last-known address before he leaves for the day.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24He's got to know that he's got this prison sentence to serve back in Lithuania,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26so he's going to be anxious to not be caught.
0:07:34 > 0:07:40Amsterdam. The Dutch capital with its bars, cafes and canals
0:07:40 > 0:07:43has long been popular with tourists.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48It's also a magnet for criminals and fugitives from British justice.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52But Dutch police are fighting back.
0:07:52 > 0:07:59The serious and organised crime team in the capital is headed by this man - Jeroen Poelert.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Amsterdam is a very nice place to live and to visit,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and we are proud of that.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And Amsterdam for criminals,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12it's also a capital for the organised crime.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Sometimes they have guns, sometimes they have problems between each other,
0:08:16 > 0:08:22so our main thing is that we worry about kidnapping and murders.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25That's why we have a strong focus to catch them.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Amsterdam is a favoured bolthole for criminals on the run from the Liverpool area.
0:08:37 > 0:08:43One dangerous fugitive who took that route was notorious Merseyside gangster James Taylor.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Taylor was known to the police. He had some convictions.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51He had minor convictions for theft.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55He had convictions for possessing an imitation firearm,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59public order, and threatening behaviour.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03His nickname amongst Liverpool's criminal fraternity was Pancake,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06due to his habit of flipping out.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12He is known across Merseyside and because of the nickname,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15there is this myth around him in terms of...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18..who he was and what he was about.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27In October 2010, Pancake Taylor lived up to his nickname.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29With the help of two others,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33he carried out a vicious revenge attack on a rival he'd fought
0:09:33 > 0:09:34while in prison.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Taylor and his gang stormed a Liverpool kebab shop,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41armed to the teeth and ready to cause carnage.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The victim tried to hold the gang off,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49but they forced their way in and chased him upstairs.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52James Taylor is the second male up the stairs.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And they are going after one individual.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's a cowardly attack, three against one.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04They clearly know who he is and what they want to do to him.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07He received laceration wounds.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10He was lucky that he didn't get more serious injuries.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16During the frenzied attack, Taylor's hood fell down, revealing his face.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24This myth around how good these people are as being organised criminals,
0:10:24 > 0:10:29well, actually, it's that arrogance that ultimately led to us identifying him.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Merseyside Police launched a manhunt for the gang.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Although they captured one of his accomplices,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37there was no sign of Pancake.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39A number of search warrants were executed.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41He wasn't at his home address.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44He wasn't at his family addresses.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47There was no information, no sightings of him,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50nothing to suggest that he was still in the Merseyside area.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54So all that points towards the fact that he'd gone, he'd left, he'd fled.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Pancake had seemingly disappeared.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Merseyside Police made a number of public appeals to try and locate him,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06but it was a chance encounter 1,000 miles away,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09which would provide a vital lead.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21We had a number of Merseyside Police officers who were away on holiday in Spain
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and they thought that they'd possibly sighted him.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29That obviously then prompts me and the investigative team
0:11:29 > 0:11:31to do a number of enquiries with that country.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Now the hunt for Taylor spanned borders,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38his case became a priority for the National Crime Agency.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46Rob Bennett is the operations manager at the agency's International Crime Bureau.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47In the case of Taylor,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51he was spotted by two Merseyside Police officers in Spain.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53So for them and for law enforcement as a whole,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56it was a valuable spot of Taylor because A, we knew he was abroad,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58but B, we also knew that he was in Spain.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01So it was useful for both Merseyside and obviously us,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05because we then knew where we could target our searches in the first instance.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11But Taylor wasn't hanging around to be found.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15NCA officers began to suspect the fugitive had moved on
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and was now hiding out in Amsterdam.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21There was various pieces of intelligence that suggested that,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26but real corroboration was given to that when we looked at the travel of his girlfriend, of his partner,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29who was travelling over to Amsterdam quite regularly.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32There was some indication he was in other countries,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34so we did look into those links as well,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36but it was the Netherlands that kept on coming through
0:12:36 > 0:12:38as the likely contender as to where he was.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44By now, Pancake Taylor had been at large for three years.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49With all signs showing he was somewhere in Europe's fugitive capital, Amsterdam -
0:12:49 > 0:12:52it was time for the Dutch police to join the hunt.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But would they be able to track him down after so long on the run?
0:13:03 > 0:13:08In West Yorkshire, large towns and cities like Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield
0:13:08 > 0:13:12attract their fair share of foreign offenders on the run.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Finding them is a priority for the police.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20The people who try to evade justice in Europe
0:13:20 > 0:13:23by hiding in the communities of West Yorkshire
0:13:23 > 0:13:27are a risk to the people in West Yorkshire.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Those offenders do not come to West Yorkshire
0:13:30 > 0:13:32to resettle and rehabilitate.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37They come firstly to escape justice in the country where they are wanted
0:13:37 > 0:13:41and then they come to West Yorkshire as an unknown commodity,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43but proficient in committing crime.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Tonight, police officers Dave Lockwood and Tom Allen are looking for a man
0:13:50 > 0:13:53wanted for relatively minor crimes.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57His name is Tomas Dzurko.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00He was caught stealing several packs of batteries and other goods
0:14:00 > 0:14:04from shops in the Czech Republic on three separate occasions.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but went on the run instead.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So this lad we're looking for, he's from the Czech Republic.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Wanted for three offences of shoplifting.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22The intelligence that links him to this address was from...
0:14:23 > 0:14:25..15th of January 2016.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33They head off to Leeds to see if the man they are after is at home.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41This one with the light, I think.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Lass looking at us out of the window.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50When they arrive at the property,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53they're met at the door by a woman who is clearly heavily pregnant
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and a man who looks very much like their fugitive.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Hello.- Hello, are you OK?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- What's your name, pal?- Tomas.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- What's your date of birth, please? - 14.03.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Yep. What year?
0:15:07 > 0:15:091980.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13OK, Tomas. I can see you've got your missus and child here with you,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15but I've got some bad news for you, I'm afraid.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18There's a warrant been issued for your arrest from the Czech Republic.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21OK? Do you know about this?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Do you understand what I'm saying to you?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Why?- Why?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The Czech Republic are saying you've committed three offences
0:15:30 > 0:15:32in 2012, OK? And they'd like to see you extradited
0:15:32 > 0:15:34back to the Czech Republic for them.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Chill out, all right?
0:15:37 > 0:15:39We're not going to rush you straight out of here.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41We'll let you take care of things that you need to take care of.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Talk to your missus, OK?
0:15:42 > 0:15:47But you're now under arrest for a European arrest warrant for three offences of shoplifting.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48So you do not have to say anything...
0:15:48 > 0:15:52The arrest is clearly a shock for Tomas Dzurko.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54He thought he'd made a new life for himself,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57his pregnant wife and young son,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but now the crimes he committed back home in the Czech Republic
0:16:00 > 0:16:02have caught up with him.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08- I know it's...- I go from prison here?- I don't know yet.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11You're going to be coming with me tonight to the police station, OK?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- You're going to be going to London tomorrow.- London tomorrow?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16To court. And I don't know what is going to happen after that.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- Hello.- You, you, you...
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Neither the wanted man, nor his pregnant wife, speak much English,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25so a friend is called to translate.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- Have you got some ID, please?- But Dave needs to check who he is, too.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- My- ID? Yeah. If I'm going to start talking to you
0:16:30 > 0:16:32and explaining what's happening, I want to know who I'm talking to.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- What happened?- I'll tell you in a minute, once I've got your ID, OK?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39With her second child due imminently,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43the shoplifter's wife now faces an uncertain future.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47The time you give me for my wife and my son?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Five, ten minutes is reasonable, yeah?
0:16:49 > 0:16:53What's happened is Czech have issued a warrant for your arrest, OK?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- Explain this to him.- Can I... Speak slowly, yeah?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The Czech Republic have issued a warrant for his arrest.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04As his friend explains,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08the wanted man starts to realise that he's in real trouble.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- PAT CASSERLY:- People are responsible for their actions and there are consequences,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and the consequence of Tomas's criminality
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and absconding and failing to present himself
0:17:20 > 0:17:26answerable to justice means that at some stage, he gets caught.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29There's never a good time, and on this occasion, yeah,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31quite a tragedy for that family,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35but he brought it upon himself and that's a consequence for Tomas.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Telephone number 101.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42If tomorrow night you're worried he hasn't come home, OK,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44we'll be able to tell you what's happened.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Right, we're going to go to the police station now.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- Are you happy we've got everything? - Yeah.- Right, come on then.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Say your goodbyes, OK?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Dzurko's taken to the police station in handcuffs,
0:18:05 > 0:18:06leaving his wife at home.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Just take a seat here, Tomas.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16What started as a petty crime has become a very big problem
0:18:16 > 0:18:21as he faces being sent away from the UK and from his family.
0:18:29 > 0:18:346am in East London and detectives Dave Salmon and Jamie Derby
0:18:34 > 0:18:37are on their way to arrest a Lithuanian man.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Eligijus Petrikonis was convicted in his home country
0:18:44 > 0:18:46for a serious assault.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50He's also used his mother's financial details to commit a fraud.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55He's been sentenced to two years and three months back in Lithuania.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02He's got to know he's got this prison sentence to serve back in Lithuania,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05so he's going to be anxious to not be caught.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Although it's still early in the morning,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13London's traffic is starting to build.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19The detectives have a 30-minute drive across the capital
0:19:19 > 0:19:22to get to the wanted man's last-known address
0:19:22 > 0:19:24before he goes out for the day.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26The clock is ticking.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Finally, they arrive at the property.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The house they are looking for is in darkness.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40No-one seems to be home.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47But when Jamie rings the doorbell, it's answered quickly.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- Oh, good morning. Sorry to bother you. Police officers.- Good morning.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53We've got to speak to the people in there.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Can I come in and knock on the door?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Just going to have to speak to the people who live here.- All right.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Where do we start - upstairs? Is there anyone in here?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05He's at work, I think, now.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06What's his name?
0:20:07 > 0:20:09The house is shared by several people,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and whoever lives downstairs has already left for work.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Time to search upstairs.
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Hello?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- Hello, sir.- Good morning.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Good morning. What's your name?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Have you any ID? Passport, anything like that?
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Your date of birth?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They've found the man they're looking for.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36We've got a warrant here from Lithuania.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It's to do with theft and an assault.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I'm arresting you in relation to this European arrest warrant.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45But Jamie spots potential danger.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Anything you do say may be given in evidence...
0:20:47 > 0:20:50..cos there's a big knife there.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I'm not going in there. Yeah, go on.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53All right.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Petrikonis, with his history of violence,
0:20:55 > 0:21:02is kept well away from the serrated blade and other knives and tools spotted in the wardrobe.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04He's handcuffed, just to make sure.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11You go first.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14'When you go into like a small bedsit like that,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16'you've got to be aware of what's around you.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Because obviously you don't know who they are,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21they've never come to notice before.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Obviously, he's wanted for an assault back home in Lithuania,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26so you just never know what's going to happen to you,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28so you've just got to be aware of what's around you.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It's been a good morning's work.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35A fugitive with a violent past has been safely arrested.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Petrikonis is now on his way to custody,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42facing an appearance in court and a journey back to prison in Lithuania.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Another dangerous criminal with a history of violence,
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Pancake Taylor, topped the list of Merseyside Police's most wanted
0:21:56 > 0:21:59after a vicious attack in a Liverpool kebab shop,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01which left his victim severely injured.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07But after more than three years on the run,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10police tracked him via Spain to the Netherlands.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15We don't like people who are here with bad intentions.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And...
0:22:17 > 0:22:21that's why we are very focused on especially the British criminals,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24who like Amsterdam for a safe haven.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And we catch a lot of people.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32British intelligence sources sent their colleagues in Amsterdam
0:22:32 > 0:22:35an image of Taylor.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39In response, Dutch police deployed officers around the city
0:22:39 > 0:22:41who specialise in facial recognition.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46One of those officers spoke to us.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49We can't reveal his identity because he is still undercover
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and active in the city.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Once he'd seen a picture of Taylor, the hunt was on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33This officer spent the next two years scanning every face he came across
0:23:33 > 0:23:36before he finally spotted the British criminal
0:23:36 > 0:23:37he'd committed to memory.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57After more than three years on the run,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01they finally had a confirmed sighting of Pancake Taylor.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05The next problem for the Dutch police was how to safely arrest
0:24:05 > 0:24:08this dangerous and vicious gangster.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Police in the Netherlands have long known that a natural ability to
0:24:17 > 0:24:21recognise faces is critical in the fight against crime.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Officers with this ability are deployed
0:24:25 > 0:24:27on covert patrols of Dutch cities.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29They often work undercover.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33We have police officers who are very good in recognising faces,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34with a beard or no beard.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37When we see you, we catch you.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Most people can remember thousands of faces at any given moment.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48However, over time, details and features start to blur together.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53But there are a select few who never forget.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58They can remember faces perfectly, even years after seeing them.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02These people are known as super-recognisers.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07And they've been the secret weapon in the hunt for British fugitives
0:25:07 > 0:25:09hiding in the Netherlands.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Professional fighter Adam Hart, seen here in the blue and white shorts,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18is one of those brought to justice by a keen-eyed super-recogniser.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26He was a cocaine smuggler who fled from the UK to hide out in Amsterdam.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31But all the ducking and diving stopped
0:25:31 > 0:25:34after a photo of Hart was given to an undercover officer.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Two weeks later,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54the officer spotted Hart as he walked into an underground car park.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06The fugitive was arrested as he tried to leave the car park.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10In custody, he tried to eat the SIM card from his phone
0:26:10 > 0:26:15and officers found 5,000 euros hidden in his underwear.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19The drug smuggler was returned to the UK
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and sentenced to six years in prison.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27The success of super-recognisers means police forces in both the
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Netherlands and the UK are keen to recruit more officers to do the job.
0:26:33 > 0:26:39Dr Josh Davis is a forensic facial identification specialist.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43He's working with British forces to identify which officers have
0:26:43 > 0:26:45exceptional recognition abilities.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49To be a good super-recogniser in the police,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51they must be highly meticulous.
0:26:51 > 0:26:57They must inspect the images that are released daily by police forces.
0:26:57 > 0:27:04They must sometimes have to view hours and hours of footage of CCTV.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Most of it's of no interest whatsoever
0:27:06 > 0:27:12but they're just trying to get that one person in that small clip from the images.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19Andy Pope from West Midlands Police reckons he has an excellent memory.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22He's come to meet Josh today to find out whether he is, in fact,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24a super-recogniser.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29In his day-to-day duties with West Midlands Police,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Andrew is well-known for his ability to spot faces.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I do have people from the force that know of me that will send me stills
0:27:36 > 0:27:38specifically just to see if I can help them out.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41It may be a case of I've already met that person
0:27:41 > 0:27:42or encountered that person,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46in which case I can positively identify them from that still,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48or if I don't know who they are, I just try and commit it to memory
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and then go outside on patrol and try and find them.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56To measure what's happening in his brain when he recognises faces,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Andy is being prepared for an EEG scan.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Sensors are attached to his head,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05which will read the electrical activity in his brain.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08This information is then sent to a computer,
0:28:08 > 0:28:14which analyses the data to reveal just how good his memory is.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17If I was a super-recogniser I'd be absolutely over the moon,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19yeah, yeah, so really excited.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Find out later if Andy has got what it takes to become
0:28:24 > 0:28:26an official super-recogniser.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- Hello. - In West Yorkshire, a minor crime
0:28:36 > 0:28:40has caught up with a man at the worst possible time.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42It's bad news for you, I'm afraid.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45There's a warrant been issued for your arrest from the Czech Republic.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Tomas Dzurko has been convicted of shoplifting
0:28:50 > 0:28:52after stealing batteries and cosmetics
0:28:52 > 0:28:56in three separate incidents back home in the Czech Republic.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59His wife is heavily pregnant with their second child
0:28:59 > 0:29:01and due any day now.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Although it may seem a minor crime,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12there's a European arrest warrant with his name on it.
0:29:12 > 0:29:13And he's taken into custody.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19If you commit an offence, you are in jeopardy,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21you've put yourself in jeopardy, of being punished
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and if that means the punishment is within the UK
0:29:24 > 0:29:29or in another country in Europe, that is the choice of the criminal,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31not the choice of the police officer.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36We're going to be sat here a while because it's really busy in custody.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Once he's been processed here...
0:29:39 > 0:29:43..Dzurko faces being extradited back to the Czech Republic
0:29:43 > 0:29:48to serve an 18-month sentence for the crimes he committed in 2012.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49Do you read English at all?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52No. It's in Czech as well, so if you read all that,
0:29:52 > 0:29:53it tells you exactly what's happening
0:29:53 > 0:29:55and why the Czech want you.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57OK?
0:30:03 > 0:30:07A bit chaotic at times, bit intense, but that's obviously because
0:30:07 > 0:30:09they were worried and the language barrier,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12we just had to keep repeating the information.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14It's quite busy in here. There's a bit of a queue,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17so we're just currently waiting to book Tomas in to custody.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Dzurko fled from the Czech Republic to dodge the law
0:30:21 > 0:30:24but it's finally caught up with him.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Would you like us to contact your partner and tell her that you're here?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31TRANSLATOR SPEAKS CZECH
0:30:33 > 0:30:36HE SPEAKS CZECH
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Now he's facing a 1,000-mile trip
0:30:41 > 0:30:45back to prison for a handful of stolen batteries.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48A bit further apart. That's it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49I'm going to be leaving you there
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and I'm going to be going to do the paperwork, so it's...
0:30:52 > 0:30:54You're probably not going to see me again tonight,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56so if you've got any questions, you need to ask me now.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00He'll spend the rest of the night in the cells
0:31:00 > 0:31:02before being taken to London in the morning,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06where a judge will decide his fate and whether to deport him.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18In Newham, East London,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21officers Jamie Darby and Dave Salmon
0:31:21 > 0:31:24have just arrested a Lithuanian fugitive.
0:31:25 > 0:31:31Two hours ago, Eligijus Petrikonis was fast asleep in his bedsit.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Now he's waiting to be checked into custody at Charing Cross police station.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38He was in bed, so it was easy. He'd just woken up so...
0:31:39 > 0:31:42..he wasn't too aware of what was going on at first,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44so by the time he realised he was under arrest...
0:31:45 > 0:31:48..you know, we'd put him in handcuffs. Straightforward, really.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53This is the European Arrest Warrant. You need to keep that with you
0:31:53 > 0:31:56for court and then give it to your solicitor there.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00The Lithuanian part is inside, OK.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08Petrikonis is given time to study the warrant issued for his arrest in Lithuania.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13As he examines the details, reality kicks in.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17We're just going to finish booking him in,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19take all his property and search him
0:32:19 > 0:32:22and then we're going to take his fingerprints, photograph and DNA
0:32:22 > 0:32:25just to make sure he hasn't committed any further offences
0:32:25 > 0:32:27here in the UK, while he's been here.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29When you take the fingerprints, they come back quite quickly,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32so if he has done anything else, it should come back quite quickly.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35He's going to ask you some questions now.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37He was arrested this morning at 6:25am.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Dave knows he can't afford any hold-ups.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Criminals who are subject to a European Arrest Warrant
0:32:45 > 0:32:47must be fast-tracked through custody.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50It does put my officers under a considerable amount of pressure
0:32:50 > 0:32:54but they're really experienced in what they do and
0:32:54 > 0:32:57they know how to express to the custody sergeants
0:32:57 > 0:33:01the importance of getting someone through the custody process quickly,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04so that they can actually get them to court on time.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09To avoid seeing the case thrown out of court,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Dave and Jamie work as fast as they can
0:33:12 > 0:33:15to get the fugitive in front of a judge as soon as possible.
0:33:19 > 0:33:20We're just finished in custody,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23so we're just on our way to Westminster Magistrates' Court now,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28where we're going to drop him off into the custody area...
0:33:29 > 0:33:34..where he'll see the duty solicitor for extradition matters
0:33:34 > 0:33:37and there will also be a Lithuanian interpreter for him.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40So once he's seen his solicitor,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43he will then go up in front of the judge.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49The rules are strict. Cases can be thrown out if the judge
0:33:49 > 0:33:51doesn't believe police have acted with all speed.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56They have to be taken to court within the 24 hours,
0:33:56 > 0:34:01but if we arrest someone in the early hours of, say, a Wednesday morning,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05then we need to have them in court by the Wednesday afternoon.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Otherwise we risk the courts actually saying
0:34:08 > 0:34:10that we've abused the process
0:34:10 > 0:34:12and they could be dismissed.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Just three and a quarter hours ago,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Jamie and Dave knocked on this fugitive's bedroom door.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22If the judge agrees,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26he could be on a plane back to Lithuania in a matter of days.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36When Adam Hart, kick boxer and cocaine dealer,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39was spotted on the run in Amsterdam and arrested,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43it was all because of one undercover policeman's ability
0:34:43 > 0:34:45to remember a face.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I recognised his face. I had his face still in my memory.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And I was sure it was Adam Hart. And he was wanted.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56There are a small number of people who have this special power -
0:34:56 > 0:35:00the ability to remember and recognise faces,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02sometimes years after seeing them.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Now the race is on to find more super-recognisers in the UK.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Andy Pope from West Midlands Police has been singled out by his bosses
0:35:15 > 0:35:19as someone who remembers faces better than most.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21I wouldn't say I remember every single face that I see...
0:35:22 > 0:35:25..but specifically ones job-related,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27I try and remember them as best I can,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29and some I'll remember two years later, some I won't,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33so I don't really know how it happens.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36He's here at the research centre in Greenwich
0:35:36 > 0:35:38to find whether he has what it takes
0:35:38 > 0:35:40to be a fully-fledged super-recogniser.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46But how much is known about this phenomenon?
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Doctor Ashok Jansari has been studying the brain
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and how memory works for over 30 years.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Super-recognition in scientific terms is incredibly new.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Our understanding of the brain is literally in the infancy
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and we're crawling around in the dark.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07And so the first paper in super-recognition
0:36:07 > 0:36:09was only published in 2009,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12which is literally a droplet in the ocean of science.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17So, yes, we're completely at the beginning of our understanding.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20So far, scientists have established that there's a difference
0:36:20 > 0:36:25in the way we see everyday things compared to how we see faces.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30The way we see other objects is by a kind of visual jigsaw.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33We put together the bits of information that we're seeing.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39So, for example, this chair has got a flat part, a back part,
0:36:39 > 0:36:46some things sticking down - and those together we work out is a chair,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50but we don't believe that that's how human faces are processed.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53What we think is that we actually see the face as a whole,
0:36:53 > 0:36:57so rather than seeing a left eye, right eye, nose, mouth
0:36:57 > 0:37:01and working out who someone is, we actually see the whole.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Back at the lab, and Andy is halfway through the tests
0:37:06 > 0:37:08set by Josh and his team.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11He's shown a face, which he must memorise.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Five.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Then another screen pops up with seven more faces,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and it's up to Andy to identify the correct one in the line-up.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25The test gets harder as it goes on, and lasts for about an hour.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28We're hoping to see that Andy scores
0:37:28 > 0:37:31exceptionally highly on some of our tests -
0:37:31 > 0:37:34that he recognises some of the faces,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36and they are really hard to recognise.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38It's not an easy test.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43And if so, then we can classify Andy as a super-recogniser,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47which matches his ability to recognise criminals from CCTV.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Andy completes the test and the results are in.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56You DEFINITELY achieved super-recogniser classification
0:37:56 > 0:38:01for this experiment on our test that we decide this, so well done.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05- And how do you feel about that? - Absolutely over the moon.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Andy scored exceptionally highly today on one of the tests,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13and that puts him into the top 1% to 2% of the population.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25Back in the Netherlands,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28officers from Amsterdam's serious crime unit
0:38:28 > 0:38:31launched a major surveillance operation
0:38:31 > 0:38:36after a dangerous British criminal was spotted by one of their super-recognisers.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44This undercover officer, who we've agreed to film anonymously,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48identified notorious Liverpool gangster Pancake Taylor
0:38:48 > 0:38:50coming out of a local gym.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Known as Pancake for his history of flipping,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08this thug was wanted for a long list of violent crimes,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11including this frenzied attack,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14which left his victim with nasty injuries.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20As Taylor was known to be dangerous and possibly armed,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Dutch police had to patiently plan how they'd carry out the arrest.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30First, they secretly followed him and the people he associated with.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34You want to do other things than just arresting people
0:39:34 > 0:39:37because we know that those people are not only hiding here,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39they're also in business,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and that's the main problem of those people -
0:39:42 > 0:39:45they're still dealing in drugs, for example.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Detectives tracked Taylor to an expensive apartment
0:39:50 > 0:39:53in an upmarket area of Amsterdam.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58They also discovered where his closest associates lived
0:39:58 > 0:40:02and planned coordinated strikes with the elite Dutch SWAT team.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Police patiently watched the house for three days
0:40:15 > 0:40:19until the SWAT team observed Taylor cycling home from the gym
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and decided it was the perfect strike opportunity.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27A dramatic moment the police managed to catch on camera.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45The most sensible place to arrest him was on his bike,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49in broad daylight, where he would have no access to firearms,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52no access to other individuals who could assist him,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54so for them it made perfect sense, really,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56to take him out in such a public way.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00With Taylor under arrest,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03the Amsterdam police called their colleagues in Merseyside
0:41:03 > 0:41:06to let them know the operation had been a success.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11To get that call to say, "Yes, we've identified him, we've got him,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15"he's in custody in Holland", was fantastic, fantastic news.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19As a cop, as a policeman, that's the type of news that you want to hear.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24A search of Taylor's apartment
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and of the homes of three of his associates
0:41:27 > 0:41:30revealed more evidence of their criminal lifestyle.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36We did a house search and we found weapons, two weapons,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40and also drugs - cocaine -
0:41:40 > 0:41:45and a lot of money, and that is typical for those people.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48And when you look to the whole picture, those friends,
0:41:48 > 0:41:52they all had apartments and in total the four of them paid
0:41:52 > 0:41:58about 10,000 euros a month to rent a house,
0:41:58 > 0:42:03and in total we seized about nine firearms.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06With the mountain of evidence against him,
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Taylor was extradited back to the UK to finally face justice.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Do you know what? Law enforcement across the world,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19we are really, really good at actually finding these people
0:42:19 > 0:42:21and bringing them to justice.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25So there was that real sense of pride of a job well done
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and doing something that the community in Merseyside
0:42:28 > 0:42:29expect us to do.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34And for most of us, that's why we come to work.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36It might take a few months, it might take a few years,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39but eventually we will catch up with you
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and we will bring you back to justice.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50In court, the judge took a dim view of James "Pancake" Taylor's attempts
0:42:50 > 0:42:52to evade justice.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56He was finally sent to prison for nine and a half years.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00At his hearing, shoplifter Tomas Dzurko
0:43:00 > 0:43:04was granted bail by the extradition court.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09He absconded but was then arrested for assaulting a child on a train.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13After pleading guilty, he fled home to the Czech Republic
0:43:13 > 0:43:15before he could be sentenced in the UK.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19He was arrested by Czech police in February 2017.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24And just three weeks after his arrest in East London,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27violent fraudster Eligijus Petrikonis
0:43:27 > 0:43:29was sent back to Lithuania,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32where he'll serve the rest of his jail sentence.