0:00:02 > 0:00:05When this cell door slams shut on a criminal, you might think they've
0:00:05 > 0:00:08got their just deserts, but the law doesn't stop there.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Criminals are now having their most-prized possessions hunted down,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16seized and sold at auction to the highest bidder.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Welcome to Ill Gotten Gains.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42On today's Ill Gotten Gains,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46we follow police in Wales and the Midlands as they hunt for cash from
0:00:46 > 0:00:49a drug deal.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And a gang smuggling a lethal cargo onto the streets of London discover
0:00:52 > 0:00:57what it's like to be taken down by armed police and watch as their
0:00:57 > 0:01:01prized asset is taken and sold at auction.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05And money seized from criminals is making life for innocent people much
0:01:05 > 0:01:08better. Cash taken from crooks in Manchester is helping to keep these
0:01:08 > 0:01:11kids very busy indeed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I enjoy spending that money, knowing where it's come from.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Across Britain every day,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24teams of specialist police officers are using a
0:01:24 > 0:01:29powerful law called the Proceeds of Crime Act to take cash and property
0:01:29 > 0:01:32from people who made money in illegal ways.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36They might be fraudsters, drug dealers or benefit cheats,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40but any cash they made through breaking the law will be taken away
0:01:40 > 0:01:47by police. They've seized over £150 million from crooks in a year,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and it's not just cash that gets seized.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53This building may not look like Sotheby's,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57but millions of pounds' worth of goods owned by crooks get sold
0:01:57 > 0:02:01off here every year. This is a location miles away from London,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06where they hold barely advertised auctions called Proceeds of Crime sales.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09They're open to the public,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11and any ill-gotten gains are seized by the police and sold to the
0:02:11 > 0:02:15highest bidder.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Mick Beattie is one of the leading
0:02:20 > 0:02:23proceeds of crime specialists in the UK.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It's his job to work out how much money criminals make and then seize
0:02:26 > 0:02:29those ill-gotten gains.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Money laundering is one way crooks can clean dirty cash.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Money laundering has three layers - placement, layering and integration.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40So you place it somewhere, then you disguise it,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and then you integrate it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45So I could be a drug dealer, and I've got tens of thousands of pounds a week coming in.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47If I'm caught with that, I have no explanation,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50so if I create a cash-rich business,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53something like a car wash or a sunbed salon or something along those lines,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I could say, last week I had a bumper week,
0:02:56 > 0:03:01and 1,000 people at £100 a time used my car wash.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I could then declare that as an income,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07pay tax on it and get money back.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Some criminals work very hard to hide their money
0:03:13 > 0:03:16from the prying eyes of the law.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But police have a special weapon in the fight to get criminal
0:03:19 > 0:03:24cash back. Meet the specialist team of financial investigators who
0:03:24 > 0:03:26follow the money and never give up.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32In the early hours of the morning in Wales,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36a large team of officers are preparing to carry out a series of
0:03:36 > 0:03:40dawn raids. We can't show any of their faces because they all operate
0:03:40 > 0:03:45under cover. They're here because financial investigators from
0:03:45 > 0:03:46South Wales's Tarian police team
0:03:46 > 0:03:49think they may have discovered a money-laundering operation.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53They suspect a convicted drug dealer may have hidden nearly
0:03:53 > 0:03:59£100,000 by giving it to accomplices to invest on his behalf.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So this morning, they plan to make multiple arrests.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05When we get there today, there are a number of addresses, say,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09in the Newport area. Police will initially attempt to make contact
0:04:09 > 0:04:11with the occupiers by knocking the door.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Hopefully we'll get their attention, and they'll open the door,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and those persons will be arrested and the house will be searched.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Elite police financial investigators will be looking for any traces of
0:04:21 > 0:04:24money, by going through any financial records they find.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They'll be looking for all sorts of documentation, potentially media,
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- laptops.- The suspected drug dealer's accomplices are not aware that THEY
0:04:35 > 0:04:39are being investigated, so they're in for a surprise this morning.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Five addresses are being attended today.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It's fairly standard, because usually money-laundering
0:04:45 > 0:04:47involves a number of people.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's about a minute or so away, now.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Now a team of officers is in place at their suspect's address.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00They will want to make a fast entry to ensure they can seize any
0:05:00 > 0:05:03evidence that may tie the alleged drug money to the men.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13With a large team of police at his door, the suspect decides
0:05:13 > 0:05:17to open up. The financial investigation is on.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19A warrant to search these premises.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28The person's inside,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30they've been spoken to by the police and officers
0:05:30 > 0:05:31from the National Crime Agency.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33That person is now under arrest,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and then the remaining officers will stay here and search his premises,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40looking for items and evidence related to the investigation.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44As the suspect is led away, the search can now begin.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The team now are going to be searching the premises for
0:05:49 > 0:05:52documentation and other evidence in relation to the investigation.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55We're looking for documentation regarding money laundering,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58any large amounts of cash,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and also other items in relation to the offence.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05The arrested man has already had all of his bank accounts frozen.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09He can't access any cash he has without police approval.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Restraining orders have been put on his accounts,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15so they're currently being restrained now, by the CPS.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Nearly 100 miles away in the Midlands,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and another team of financial investigators are about to visit
0:06:24 > 0:06:27two more suspects in the money-laundering case.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Like the suspect in Wales,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32the two Birmingham people they're after aren't expecting a visit from
0:06:32 > 0:06:33the police.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36We're assisting officers from Tarian,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38the Welsh Regional Asset Recovery Team,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40in a money-laundering investigation.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Two adults are supposed to be arrested, who are suspected of
0:06:43 > 0:06:47being involved in a money-laundering offence off the back of the
0:06:47 > 0:06:50drugs' trafficking conviction down in Wales.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56We're looking for evidence in the form of receipts, documents,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59property sales, bank statements,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03any communications or any documents that will show their involvement.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06This is the house where the two suspects live.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Police are hoping there might be some evidence inside
0:07:09 > 0:07:11to prove their suspicions.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And one man inside has had to be taken away for questioning.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Now the financial investigators can move in,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and look for anything that will link these suspects to money laundering
0:07:21 > 0:07:23for the drug dealer in Wales.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26They're in there now, searching for the items we're looking for.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Inside, they have found a series of documents and other items they
0:07:30 > 0:07:34suspect will hold vital clues to how the drug dealer's money was
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- getting spent.- So the search has gone to plan.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Lots of items of interest have been discovered and obtained,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42two large boxes of material,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46documents which will need to be sifted through and numerous documents,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50bank statements and lots of communications that may or may not,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but hopefully may, relate to the offence that the Welsh lads,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56the Welsh team are investigating.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59We've conducted the search, there are two people in custody,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03both are en route to a local police station and they will be interviewed
0:08:03 > 0:08:06by the Welsh RART throughout the course of the day.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12And, back in Wales,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15the financial investigators are moving from the suspect's house,
0:08:15 > 0:08:20- to his car.- We've identified the fact that the suspect arrested from
0:08:20 > 0:08:22the address has a vehicle.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24As a result, we've obtained authority
0:08:24 > 0:08:26to search the vehicle also.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28And the same as the premises,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31we're now looking for evidence of money laundering.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Financial investigators understand the devious hidden world that
0:08:36 > 0:08:38criminals and their cash inhabit.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41You can find almost anything,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43but it's usually documentation,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45which they'll have in their bank accounts,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49hidden bank accounts that they've been using to launder the money through.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53We usually find cash cards that they use in order to top up fees and
0:08:53 > 0:08:55funds on, that they also use to hide the money.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It could be a variety of things.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Paying-in receipts.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Also, SIM cards that they use for their mobile phones because they use
0:09:05 > 0:09:09several SIM cards in order to communicate with each other.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10They try and live below the radar,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13try and secure their money away in bank accounts.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14But on days like today,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18financial investigators throw a criminal's world into the spotlight,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and look for evidence of spending the proceeds of crime,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and they think they have something.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- Totally different address again. Supposedly living there.- Yeah.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30What's the connection with that address?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And hidden away in the car,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35investigators think they've found some important information that
0:09:35 > 0:09:38might help with the money-laundering investigation.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Later on, we'll see exactly what the team have found.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Arrested criminals will often have bundles of cash taken off them when
0:09:49 > 0:09:52police suspect it's been made illegally.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55But it's not just money the police can take,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58as this group of heavyweight villains found out.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It all began after police in Kent tipped off the National Crime Agency
0:10:03 > 0:10:06about a frightening gang in their area.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Police believe the gang were planning major criminal acts and
0:10:10 > 0:10:13needed to be stopped. The NCA officer we spoke to is covert,
0:10:13 > 0:10:18so has hidden his face to tell us the chilling details of the case as
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- it unfolded.- The Kent Police came to us as the National Crime Agency.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25They had a basic intelligence picture around a criminal family.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27They were known as the Shillings.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30They were involved in the trafficking and importation of commodities,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and that could includes drugs and, in this day and age,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35organised immigration crime.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38So they were the threats and the concerns that Kent Police
0:10:38 > 0:10:42- and ourselves had.- 27-year-old Harry Shilling was identified as the
0:10:42 > 0:10:46kingpin of this organised crime group, known for importing and selling drugs,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49with links to street gangs in London.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Harry Shilling did have a degree of sophistication and discipline.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57So he had a criminal group where he was able to stand off and direct and
0:10:57 > 0:11:02would utilise a trusted lieutenant to assist as a go-between.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05He's lieutenant was 30-year-old Michael Defraine,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07with lackeys Richard Rye,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11David Payne and Christopher Owen making up the rest of the numbers.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So they'll have someone who is dedicated in relation to transport
0:11:15 > 0:11:18or logistics. Someone who may handle the money for them.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Someone who will actually go hands-on the commodity and will
0:11:21 > 0:11:25remain very disciplined in relation to their communication with each other as well.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Officers deployed a surveillance team to watch the gang as
0:11:28 > 0:11:31they operated, but little did the NCA realise the men
0:11:31 > 0:11:34they were watching were planning a deadly crime.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38So in this case, the surveillance team are deployed on Harry Shilling
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and unbeknown to him, the team are there covering his every move
0:11:41 > 0:11:45and just recording his associations and what he's up to when we think
0:11:45 > 0:11:47there's relevant days.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51With a team of officers watching, nothing went unnoticed.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Evidence suggested the gang were planning something big.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Surveillance was ramped up when officers discovered they appeared to
0:11:57 > 0:12:02be hatching a plan to buy a seaworthy boat - the Albernina.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05There are operatives that were in public houses that they'd frequent.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Some of the operatives were able to watch them when they were using
0:12:08 > 0:12:11their smartphones and they were actually looking at marine sites and
0:12:11 > 0:12:13actually looking at the Albernina for sale.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It was quite apparent then that they were now all engaged in a criminal venture.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21So we focused much of our activities then on the movement of that boat.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27The boat was staked out 24/7 to find out exactly what was going on.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32What we started to see unfold,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35it was obvious that something was going to be trafficked and from the
0:12:35 > 0:12:36assessments we made of that intelligence,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40it was very likely to include the trafficking of firearms.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Intelligence the NCA had on the source and route of the weapons had
0:12:46 > 0:12:49led them to believe these were no ordinary guns,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52but instead mass-casualty hardware,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56which, in the wrong hands, could have devastating consequences.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03This is a Czechoslovakian vz61 Scorpion.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05This was initially designed as a gun
0:13:05 > 0:13:07to protect someone from armed attack,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09but obviously by very definition,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11it can be used in an armed attack
0:13:11 > 0:13:15- as well.- Out of all the machine guns on the market, the Scorpion is the
0:13:15 > 0:13:18easiest to use and for a gang looking to assert its presence,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20an ideal weapon.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22This is extremely controllable.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26This is designed to put the rounds practically in the same hole.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29So it's extremely devastating.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Whereas you might be hit with one or two 9mm bullets,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34if you're hit with five or six of these,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37your chances of living are very slim.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43On the 9th August, activities around the boat picked up.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47And it was clear something big was about to take place.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51We could see that David Payne was preparing for a trip and so we
0:13:51 > 0:13:55developed our surveillance strategies around what control could we have of that boat,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58if any, and what preparation can we make for its return?
0:13:58 > 0:14:02We looked out to the Border Force to give us some assistance, really,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06of putting plans in place for tracking that boat as it departed the UK
0:14:06 > 0:14:10and then give us an early alert as and when it was returning.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12With Shilling, Defraine and Rye
0:14:12 > 0:14:14staying on dry land to monitor
0:14:14 > 0:14:16proceedings, Payne and Owen steered
0:14:16 > 0:14:19the boat out of the harbour on the
0:14:19 > 0:14:219th of August 2015,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25none the wiser of the welcoming party they would be returning to.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29By the 10th August, we're aware that it's now returning,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33so with our own surveillance teams we look to shadow its movements...
0:14:34 > 0:14:38..and it initially arrives back at Rochester.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42So with the surveillance team we can then keep control of David Payne and
0:14:42 > 0:14:46see what's going to happen with the commodity we now believe is on that yacht.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Officers on the ground watched as a van pulled up beside the boat and
0:14:51 > 0:14:56David Payne and Christopher Owen began to move suitcases inside.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Our officers on the ground are reporting the movements and activity
0:15:00 > 0:15:04around that boat, which then continues to build our suspicion that they are now
0:15:04 > 0:15:06ready to move a commodity that is on board.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10With those individuals using blue rubber gloves,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14their activity on the boat was quite excited.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Waiting for the van to leave the scene,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19armed officers could now make their move.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Not knowing if there were more weapons inside,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24they quietly crept up to take down those inside.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32They've got to be able to react to anything that now comes out.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35On this occasion, we can see the guys are coming out showing their
0:15:35 > 0:15:38hands and they are compliant. If you imagine what's going through the
0:15:38 > 0:15:41firearms officers' minds when they first approach that yacht,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44knowing that it's trafficked firearms to the UK.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53With half of the gang arrested, the team further down the road were in
0:15:53 > 0:15:56hot pursuit of a van full of firearms,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59now being driven by David Payne and about to enter a main road in the
0:15:59 > 0:16:01United Kingdom.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06He had to be dealt with very quickly and very safely before he reached
0:16:06 > 0:16:10the main road. David Payne was arrested in the driving seat of the
0:16:10 > 0:16:15van just before it entered the main road and in the back were the cases.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16And in relation to Mr Payne,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19as soon as he was arrested and saw the police there,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22he explained straightaway there were guns in the back of the vehicle.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24After catching Payne red-handed,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26the officers recovered the firearms
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and discovered the sheer quantity of what the gang had been trafficking.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Inside the bags were 22 assault rifles and nine machine pistols,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38worth over £100,000.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40From an initial check of what's in those bags
0:16:40 > 0:16:42at the scene of the arrest,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45officers reported back to us that they were assault weapons and
0:16:45 > 0:16:49machine pistols. The devastating firepower they would have on the UK
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and the criminal market, you know, is catastrophic.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58With the firearms seized and some of the gang in custody,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00there were still three men on the loose.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Defraine, Rye and possibly the most dangerous of them all - Shilling.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Intelligence tracked the men down to the nearest DIY store, where they
0:17:11 > 0:17:14were buying tools to bury the weapons.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18So here you can see them purchasing what we're saying is a burial kit
0:17:18 > 0:17:20for the weapons that they've just trafficked.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23You can see they've got shovels,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28they buy a pickaxe and other items, ready to bury these weapons.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Those bottles contain ammonia.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It's our case that they would've used ammonia when they buried
0:17:33 > 0:17:35the weapons, to put off any tracking dogs' scents,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38but also maybe they feel they could've forensically cleaned the
0:17:38 > 0:17:40weapons with them as well.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Despite the gang's best efforts to hide all evidence,
0:17:46 > 0:17:51forces were onto them and waiting by their vehicle for their return.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The force of the take-down takes Shilling by surprise.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02He's actually shocked,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05so they've taken medical attention to him straightaway.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Let your heart rate settle down and you'll be fine.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Once we're there, we're there in numbers and we're there with
0:18:13 > 0:18:17safe tactics and it's that shock and awe that gives us the advantage,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20really, over the people who we're targeting.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29But one man escapes - Richard Rye.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33He was spotted sitting inside a nearby McDonald's with families just
0:18:33 > 0:18:37a few yards away, holding a suspicious-looking box.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42With no idea what was inside the box, officers were on high alert.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45This CCTV footage shows what happens next.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Rye looks agitated inside the restaurant as he frantically tries
0:18:51 > 0:18:53to contact the other members of the gang.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56He doesn't realise that the man nearest to him
0:18:56 > 0:18:57is an armed policeman.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The officer who's just walked through the shop there is one of our
0:19:03 > 0:19:06surveillance officers. He's looking at Richard Rye.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08He's deciding what action to take.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15As Rye goes to leave the restaurant, the armed officer has to act.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26He's not prepared to let him move any further with that box, that
0:19:26 > 0:19:29unknown item, so he takes control.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And then two other colleagues come and assist.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Having safely secured the arrests of each of the gang,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47shocking messages later found on mobile phones
0:19:47 > 0:19:49show exactly what they had planned
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and just how menacing these criminals were,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55proving vital evidence in their eventual downfall.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00So Shilling starts off the message to Defraine saying...
0:20:04 > 0:20:05And Defraine replies...
0:20:08 > 0:20:09Shilling replies...
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Defraine says...
0:20:16 > 0:20:18And Shilling concludes...
0:20:24 > 0:20:28You know, that's quite a chilling message and gives a clear indication
0:20:28 > 0:20:29of their attitude towards
0:20:29 > 0:20:31what they've just trafficked over to the UK.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36Despite Shilling and Defraine brazenly pleading not guilty,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38the evidence was stacked up against them
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and the jury delivered a guilty verdict.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Christopher Owen was jailed for five years,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48David Payne and Richard Rye for 14 years each.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Michael Defraine for 27 years and
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Harry Shilling for 30 years behind bars.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56If you look at that comment of...
0:20:57 > 0:21:01That's something that they're saying to each other in the context of
0:21:01 > 0:21:04having access to the controlled drugs that they are supplying and
0:21:04 > 0:21:09now having access to mass-casualty weapons to enforce that enterprise.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11So it is particularly worrying...
0:21:12 > 0:21:16..but in this case, we were able to display that to the court direct and
0:21:16 > 0:21:18they've been dealt with appropriately.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Now behind bars,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24forces punished them even more by seizing and selling everything they
0:21:24 > 0:21:26illegally owned, starting with the boat.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28And in a double blow,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32financial investigators will make sure any profits will go straight
0:21:32 > 0:21:36into the public purse, rather than into the hands of these
0:21:36 > 0:21:37cold-blooded criminals.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Historically, criminals would look at a criminal conviction,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43look at a custodial sentence
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and would just suck that up and get on with the sentence
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and come out and carry on.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52With the Proceeds of Crime now, it gives that double jeopardy.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Because of the overall value of this crime,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58he will have that hanging over his head and will have to pay what the
0:21:58 > 0:22:01courts direct in relation to Proceeds of Crime hearings.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Later on, we'll discover how much this boat, which was used to smuggle
0:22:07 > 0:22:10the guns, can fetch at auction,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13as the NCA now begin to claw back the proceeds of crime.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Most hardened criminals would rather go to jail than have their most
0:22:20 > 0:22:22precious possessions taken away,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and it was no different for this dodgy car dealer when he left a
0:22:26 > 0:22:28trail of unhappy customers in his wake.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31He tried to give Trading Standards the run-around,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35but instead ended up getting his own fingers burnt.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Sometimes, even minor complaints can scratch the surface of a
0:22:42 > 0:22:44major criminal operation, as Colin and Sue Romford
0:22:44 > 0:22:48from Trading Standards regional scam-buster team at York found out.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50As a result of one investigation,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54these two ended up bringing down one of the UK's biggest fraudsters.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56It all started with a simple complaint.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01We had a referral from the regional Trading Standards group.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And it was in relation to a car dealer.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08And the person operating the company was Kirk Claus.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12These were just a few of the complaints that we investigated when
0:23:12 > 0:23:14we started to look into the matter.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21Claus was running a company selling dodgy motors - on a massive scale.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The vehicles he was selling were near undriveable,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27badly damaged and in some cases, written off.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31He was operating the garage as a complete scam.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35There were times when people would take their vehicles in for Claus to
0:23:35 > 0:23:38sell and then they'd never see the vehicles again,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41they'd just vanish. If he liked them, he'd just take them.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46Claus and his cronies' business practices left a lot to be desired.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Customers scammed out of their hard-earned cash were becoming
0:23:49 > 0:23:53increasingly distressed. And the cars he was selling to people
0:23:53 > 0:23:54were riddled with faults.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Some of the cars were at the cheaper end of the market, two grand.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01But the ones we looked at on the internet were anything up to £50,000.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Some of the people who were buying £2,000, £3,000 vehicles,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06it was a very important purchase for them,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08they could ill afford to lose the money.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09When they went back to complain,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Claus and his group intimidated them,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16so there was quite a few of the consumers who just left the site,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- because they were frightened. - One of his customers was Gary,
0:24:19 > 0:24:24who had the misfortune of spending £10,000 buying a car from Kirk Claus
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and wound up taking his life in his own hands
0:24:27 > 0:24:29just to get home in one piece.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33He can still remember the moment he pitched up at Claus's showroom to
0:24:33 > 0:24:35take a look at the car he wanted.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So I arrived at the garage and walked in,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and the first thing I thought was, there's a lot of people there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44There was probably seven, eight,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47nine men standing around in the offices, as well.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50And I stood in the forecourt, no-one came out.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I had to then walk through the forecourt into this big shed.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00Walked into the office and again, there was no customer service,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03so you kind of think, the cars must sell themselves.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05In the back of my head, that's what I was thinking,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07the cars must sell themselves.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09There wasn't a guy in a suit,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11there wasn't anyone dressed particularly smart.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Gary already had his eye on a car he'd spotted online.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18He took it for a test drive and, noticing a few niggles,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22haggled the price down before handing over his hard-earned cash
0:25:22 > 0:25:24and embarking on the long trip home.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27But a few hours in, something wasn't right.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Driving down the M1 from Halifax down to London,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and all of a sudden a light comes on the dashboard,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38the whole car swerves to the left, loses power.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41You're just, like, this isn't happening to me.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43This just isn't right.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Pulled over on the hard shoulder, called up the services
0:25:46 > 0:25:50whilst on the phone, waiting about five minutes on the phone.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Hit the ignition again, it seemed to be OK.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Limped it back down to London at 50mph.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It was very scary, but I just had to get home.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Yeah, just had to get home, that's all I wanted,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I was upset at that point, and just wanted to get home.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12When he finally made it, Gary sought specialist help.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16I booked it into my local garage, that I've been using for years.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Explained the problem.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20They then said, "Just drop it in, we'll take a look at it."
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I got a phone call a couple of hours later just saying,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26"This car needs a new engine."
0:26:26 > 0:26:29And at that point, I was absolutely devastated.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34And it was from then onwards that the nightmare really started.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36The garage came back to me with their quote
0:26:36 > 0:26:38for them to do it of £3,500.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I shopped around on the internet and found a company that would do it for
0:26:42 > 0:26:462,500, which was a complete, brand-new engine in the car.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I was just devastated - for buying a second-hand car,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52you don't expect that kind of expenditure
0:26:52 > 0:26:53in the first couple of weeks.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Understandably, Gary chased Kirk Claus about the faulty car.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00He wanted a refund, or to have the engine paid for.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03But the car dealer gave him the run-around.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I was ringing the garage at least three or four times a day,
0:27:06 > 0:27:07asking for Kirk Claus.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11I knew it was him that was picking up, he would then say, "No, sorry,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13"he's not in. What do you want?
0:27:13 > 0:27:15"I'll see if he's around, I'll get him to call you back."
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Never received a call back.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Now I can laugh, but at the time,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I was so angry because you know who you're talking to and you know
0:27:22 > 0:27:25you're getting fobbed off.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Kirk Claus never called back, but in time,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Gary did get a phone call from Trading Standards.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34They told him they had swooped on Kirk Claus's empire and were seizing
0:27:34 > 0:27:36many of his vehicles.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39And now the crime-fighting couple
0:27:39 > 0:27:42started to dig into Claus's finances.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47What they were about to find was criminal activity on a huge scale.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50And later, we'll see how the crime-fighting sleuths
0:27:50 > 0:27:52discovered the secrets
0:27:52 > 0:27:55of Kirk Claus's ill-gotten gains.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Every year, the police succeed in clawing back millions of pounds that
0:28:02 > 0:28:04crooks in their region have made illegally.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And where does it go?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Well, some ends up being given to schemes like this one.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17A few miles south-east of Manchester city centre lies Gorton,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19once a thriving industrial hub.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23When the factory doors shut in the '60s, it became plagued with crime.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Nick Buckley grew up not far from the area and witnessed
0:28:29 > 0:28:33antisocial behaviour on a daily basis within his community.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Gorton has had its issues over the last couple of decades.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Crime has been one of them.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Gang activity was another.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43The police and the council have really got to grips with a lot of
0:28:43 > 0:28:46that now. What we're left with now in the area is low-level
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- antisocial behaviour.- Nick spent nearly ten years working for the
0:28:50 > 0:28:52council as a community safety officer,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54before falling victim to government cuts.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56The day of the riots in Manchester city centre,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59that was the day I realised my job
0:28:59 > 0:29:03for the council was going due to the cuts and the austerity measures.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05And I'm looking out of the window at the riots,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08looking at young people making really poor decisions for the city,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11but also for their lives, and I thought to myself,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13we need to do a lot more with young people,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15a lot more prevention and early-intervention work,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18rather than waiting until they've made big mistakes and locking them
0:29:18 > 0:29:20up and taking just enforcement action.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Undeterred, Nick took his redundancy pay-out and invested the money into
0:29:23 > 0:29:27setting up a charity to help steer these teenagers away from a
0:29:27 > 0:29:30- life of crime.- So I decided to hand in my papers,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32take voluntary redundancy,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35and I used that money to set up a registered charity called Mancunian Way.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38And we're all about prevention and early intervention.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42With a lack of funding from the council, the charity was just getting by.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45But Nick had bigger ambitions.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47I've obviously never run a charity before.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50When I first started, I had no idea how to set a charity up.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53And the first six months was really, really difficult.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56My redundancy was almost running out.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57We couldn't get any money in.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01So the work we were doing in Gorton at the beginning was all street-based,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04which means my staff would go out on a Friday, Saturday evening,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07engage young people on the street, in the parks,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09have a chat with them, offer advice and guidance.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11And the common thing they kept telling us was,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14"We need a youth club, we need somewhere to go."
0:30:14 > 0:30:18And that's when we saw the police authority's grant,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21which is all funded by the Proceeds of Crime Act.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Desperate to find a way to raise the cash to set up a youth club,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Nick found what he was looking for in the unlikeliest of places.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Through cash seized from criminals.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37We got 5, 6, £700.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40And we used that money to buy the initial equipment
0:30:40 > 0:30:43for the youth club. And it's over two years old now.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45It runs for four hours on a Friday evening.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49And a normal Friday is attracting 60, 70 young people to the session.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52And that wouldn't have started without that little bit of money at
0:30:52 > 0:30:55the beginning to get things going.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The club became a real focal point for children.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01And engaging them in activities proved to be a big hit with parents
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- as well.- We do all sorts at this youth club.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05Every week, we're doing something different.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08So today we're going to do a cooking session.
0:31:08 > 0:31:09We've got some PlayStations going,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11we've got our local police officers down there,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15they'll be playing pool and table tennis. And in a bit, we've got a sports coach,
0:31:15 > 0:31:16who'll be doing some sport sessions.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19While they are here, that's when my staff are engaging with them and
0:31:19 > 0:31:22trying to educate them on social issues, seeing what issues they've got at home,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25seeing if they need advice on careers.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27So a little money can have a big impact, if you spend it correctly.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32We play football, we play volleyball, basketball, every game.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35It is a fun place in here, that's why I come here.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I've learnt how to bake a cake very well now.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40It gives you aspiration about what you want to be in the future.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43If they didn't have somewhere like this to go to, it would be,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45you know, out on the street.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48They're definitely out getting in trouble or being noisy,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50or just not having anywhere to go.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52You walk through the neighbourhood around here and it's kids
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- hanging out on the street.- Criminals destroy communities
0:31:55 > 0:31:56and destroy individual lives.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And when we take their money back off them,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00and I get to spend it to improve
0:32:00 > 0:32:02the lives of young people in those communities,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04it's the best money I ever spend.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Seizing criminals' assets is an important way of showing communities
0:32:13 > 0:32:16up and down the country that crime doesn't pay.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20But those involved in criminal activities will often try to hide
0:32:20 > 0:32:24their assets, and it is down to the financial investigators to uncover
0:32:24 > 0:32:26the money trail.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Earlier on, we saw financial investigators in Wales make an
0:32:32 > 0:32:34arrest of a man suspected of money-laundering offences.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38They have frozen his bank accounts and searched his house for details
0:32:38 > 0:32:40of anything he's bought.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42And hidden away in his car,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46the investigators think this document is proof of how the money
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- might be laundered.- Totally different address again.- Yeah.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Someone is living there.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54What's the connection with that address?
0:32:54 > 0:32:58What we've got here is a land registry charge notice for a separate address
0:32:58 > 0:33:02within the area. Yet it's actually addressed to the property that we
0:33:02 > 0:33:04are currently searching.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09One of the ways money laundering works is through property,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11they would buy various amounts of property.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15The document shows a property has been bought and officers suspect it
0:33:15 > 0:33:18was paid for by the drug dealer's money.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20The property that was purchased is this property here,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and the property was purchased for £90,000.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28There's going to be enquiries made by the investigation team
0:33:28 > 0:33:30in relation to that.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33But that's the centre of the enquiry, really.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37This is important work that will need to be carried out by the
0:33:37 > 0:33:41financial investigators to work out where the money has gone.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46And whilst the first search was happening,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49more financial investigators have been going through a property
0:33:49 > 0:33:52down the road that is linked to their suspect.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55They too believe they've found evidence of someone
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- making money illegally.- Basically,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59what we've recovered at the premises at the moment,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- just go through it.- What we've got, we've got a...
0:34:02 > 0:34:06quantity of cash that was found in brown envelopes in a safe upstairs.
0:34:07 > 0:34:14A Nike bag, which we estimate has got about £2,000 in cash.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18And two bundles of cash with approximately £1,000 in each bag,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20which was also found
0:34:20 > 0:34:24in a hat box on the floor of the top room.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28So these will be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31The search has turned up much evidence
0:34:31 > 0:34:33the police want to investigate further.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Who knows what secrets will be uncovered from inside these bags?
0:34:37 > 0:34:40A number of computers to be examined.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44There is approximately £5,000 in cash, a number of diaries,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46phones and things.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49And financial documents for us to go through.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51And after a busy morning,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54the Tarian team have three people in custody and a large amount of their
0:34:54 > 0:34:58suspect's financial history in the boot of their car.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01The task for the investigators now is simple -
0:35:01 > 0:35:04if the house was bought with criminal money,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06it will be seized and sold off.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08And if it's come from the proceeds of crime,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11the money will be put back into the public purse.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20Earlier, we saw how Trading Standards sleuths Colin and Sue Romford
0:35:20 > 0:35:22had been contacted by customers
0:35:22 > 0:35:25who had been duped by second-hand car dealer Kirk Claus.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29So they decided to take a closer look at his finances, and,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33as so often happens when financial investigators follow the money,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35they find a link to crime.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It turns out Claus wasn't paying a penny in tax,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42but where was he hiding his ill-gotten gains?
0:35:42 > 0:35:44We applied for a warrant to visit the premises,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47to basically seize business documentation and inspect what was
0:35:47 > 0:35:50on the premises, to push the investigation forward.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Colin and Sue knew he must have had something hidden somewhere.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58So like a pair of bloodhounds,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01they investigated every property Claus had links to and soon made
0:36:01 > 0:36:04a massive discovery.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07It was so remarkable, they got their cameras out and filmed it.
0:36:07 > 0:36:13There was a large barn and it was full of high-value vehicles,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18from Rolls-Royce to Bentleys, Dodge cars to American cars.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Once we looked at them, we knew they were worth a lot of money.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Finding the cars proved that Kirk Claus had major assets.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29And when he went to court over his dodgy business practices,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32he was charged with conspiring to defraud customers
0:36:32 > 0:36:34and money-laundering offences
0:36:34 > 0:36:36and sentenced to three years in jail.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40During the trial,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43some of the victims were brave enough to come forward and
0:36:43 > 0:36:46testify against Claus. One of these was Gary,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49who had paid £10,000 for a dodgy car
0:36:49 > 0:36:51that clapped out the day he bought it.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54As soon as I heard he was in trouble,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and as soon as Trading Standards called me up,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I wanted to do whatever I could to help.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Make this man face justice for what he had done to me and to others.
0:37:05 > 0:37:06The courtroom was interesting
0:37:06 > 0:37:09because they were trialling, I believe,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11eight people at one time.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15With Kirk being the ringleader and seven of his accomplices, and...
0:37:16 > 0:37:18..they were still intimidating,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21they didn't look guilty for anything they had done,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24they just stared coldly at you.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27And you're telling... You're telling your story.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30And I don't know if they listened or not.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32I would like to think they listened
0:37:32 > 0:37:33and I'd like to think they felt
0:37:33 > 0:37:35some sort of remorse, but I doubt it.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40After the trial, the judge ordered Claus to repay over £1 million
0:37:40 > 0:37:44he'd made illegally. He was stubbornly refusing to pay up.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48So Colin and Sue again went in search
0:37:48 > 0:37:50for any assets Claus was hiding.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Claus had been renting a storage unit some miles away, to hide
0:37:56 > 0:37:58his assets from the authorities.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00But there was no hiding from these officers.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Like a dog with a bone,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05they weren't going to give up until they'd got their hands on all of
0:38:05 > 0:38:07his assets.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09This is it, in front of you.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14We then went into the premises and it was just total shock.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15I just couldn't believe
0:38:15 > 0:38:16what we were looking at.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20There was drag cars, there was Rolls-Royces,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24there were some absolutely amazing vehicles that were all parked,
0:38:24 > 0:38:30it was full. And for at least 20 minutes, we just walked around,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35viewing the vehicles in a little bit of a shock, really.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37They were transporting vehicles all night,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40right until 11 o'clock the following day, because there were so many.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43We actually stayed overnight,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45we took it in turns to get some shut-eye.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49Claus had made a blunder in trying to outsmart these two unassuming
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Trading Standards officers.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54And now he was paying the price by losing everything.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57In terms of the seizure, this was a one-off for us.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01We've never before or since seized this sort of value of cars.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04By the time we finished this investigation, with the police and ourselves
0:39:04 > 0:39:08seizing various vehicles, we'd actually accumulated 115 vehicles,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11which was quite something, really, we think.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15The 115 vehicles seized from Claus went on to be sold at auction,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17raising just under £1 million -
0:39:17 > 0:39:20some of which went back to customers he'd ripped off.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25Knowing now he had a huge lock-up of cars and motorbikes hidden away,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28makes me feel sick. Because he hasn't earned that money,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30he's stolen that off people.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33And he's lived a good life stealing off people.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35It just... It makes me sick.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36I think it's fantastic
0:39:36 > 0:39:39that the police have the power to take assets,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41that these guys have not earned,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43away from them,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47and to sell them and to give it back to the people that they've hurt
0:39:47 > 0:39:51- along their journeys.- Investigators from West Yorkshire Police
0:39:51 > 0:39:53analysed Claus's activities.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57They calculated Claus had made an astonishing £15 million
0:39:57 > 0:40:03over the years, and he still has £6.5 million somewhere.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05And the police won't stop looking for it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Claus seems to think he can run away from this,
0:40:08 > 0:40:09but this is a debt for life.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12So once he served his sentence, we'll be waiting for him,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and we won't take our eye off this.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Kirk Claus has been given additional jail time because he still hasn't
0:40:22 > 0:40:24paid back the money.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28It just goes to show, when it comes to proceeds of crime,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31he'll continue to be punished until the debt has been paid off.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Earlier on, we saw how the National Crime Agency put a gang of
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Kent criminals under 24-hour surveillance.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Police watched the gang's every move as they searched for and then bought
0:40:43 > 0:40:46themselves this boat, the Albernina.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The National Crime Agency officers sensed the gang were planning
0:40:50 > 0:40:54something major and put the Albernina boat under constant surveillance.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58The gang finally sailed away in their boat
0:40:58 > 0:41:00and made the trip to Europe.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Officers realised what they were doing was buying guns, and once unloaded,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07those guns were to be sold on the streets of London.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Armed police swooped on the gang members at the boat.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14But gang leader Harry Shilling had already left.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17He was arrested at a DIY superstore.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21And the final gang member was taken down in McDonald's.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24All that remains of the scam is the boat the gang used,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26and now that's due to be sold off here
0:41:26 > 0:41:28at the proceeds of crime auction.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Auction manager Aidan Larkin is ready to get the sale under way.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36So who will kick things off for lot number 45, the Albernina?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38It is here to be sold with no reserve.
0:41:38 > 0:41:405,000 straight in. A bid of £5,000.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42At £5,000.
0:41:42 > 0:41:43It's a steal at that. At 5,000.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45And six. Bidding at £6,000.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47At £9,000.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49It is with the online bidder at £9,000.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Bid in at £10,000.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53£10,000 is a good price for the boat,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- but Aidan thinks he can get more. - It's with the online bidder.
0:41:56 > 0:41:5811. It's at £11,000.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01We've got three bidders, two different, I can see.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02£12,000 now.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04That's cheap at £12,000.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06These things retail at 30,000 at least.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08At £13,000...
0:42:08 > 0:42:10The gun-running past of this yacht
0:42:10 > 0:42:12doesn't seem to be slowing down the bids for Albernina.
0:42:12 > 0:42:1513,500, thank you. At 13,500.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17At 13,500, once.
0:42:17 > 0:42:1914,000.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21At 14,000, you're testing me.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23At £14,000. 14,750.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26At 14,750.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Bid at 14,750, once,
0:42:28 > 0:42:3014,750 twice...
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Third and last. Sold online.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Well done, that's £14,750 on the Albernina.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Well, given the fact that this thing is over 35 years old,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42and it's been rummaged and been
0:42:42 > 0:42:44taken through by the government agencies
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and searched thoroughly, the fact that it achieved, I think,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49possibly £14,000 at auction is a great price,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51we're very happy with that.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Even when criminals are behind bars,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57they are still paying off their debt to society.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00And when they come out, if they haven't cleared that debt,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03the police will continue to hunt down their ill-gotten gains.