SAS Catching the Criminals S01E15 (2024)
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00:00Covert surveillance, reconnaissance, deception, stealth, and disruption.
00:07These are the skills I learned on the military front line.
00:11And they can be used to combat a different enemy.
00:15Britain's criminals.
00:20That's the team thrown into position now.
00:22My name is Billy Billingham, and I spent over 20 years in the SAS.
00:29Now, I'm going to show you how SAS tactics are helping to crack down on anti-social crime across Britain.
00:37All teams now in position.
00:39Strike, strike, strike.
00:40Some enforcement agencies are already using SAS tactics to hunt criminals.
00:45Check this out. This is exactly what they were looking for.
00:49Hey presto.
00:51And I want to find out how much the police are doing too.
00:54Go, go, go.
00:57She's going to pick up a target right now.
00:59You're lying, aren't you? And you know very well it's illegal.
01:02Let's go. You need to move quick. Stand by.
01:04Banged up. Job done.
01:06In the military, you have to be proactive and reactive.
01:26You've got your marching orders, but you have to be ready to adapt.
01:31And it's exactly the same in the police.
01:37So today we're in Cleveland, working with the Cleveland police, and we're going to see the duties of policing.
01:43It could be catching criminals, or it could be supporting the community. Stand by.
01:48Tackling anti-social behaviour head on is a top priority when it comes to modern day community policing.
01:56And that's precisely the aim of today's operation in Stockton-on-Tees.
02:02So the plan today is essentially we've got some hotspot areas for where we know there is activity for motorbikes.
02:08So we're going to put the drones up. We're going to have a couple of unmarked cars that are going to act as spotters, liaise with the drones.
02:13And then the idea is once the bike has come to a stop and we don't have to consider safety as much because there's no pursuit,
02:19we can go in, deal with it, deal with whatever traffic offences we've got.
02:23On top of that, it's going to be a very busy day for everyone. There is two warrants that have been sworn out.
02:29Alongside the wider operation, they also have two arrest warrants out for known individuals who have been dealing drugs in the area.
02:36The team want to make two quick entries to detain these suspects.
02:47But as we get into this morning's briefing, we quickly receive reports of a man wielding a machete.
02:54Just like that, we are into a rapid response and the team's mobilised quickly to deal with it.
03:00As you can see, we've just been briefed on an antisocial sort of situation going on in the community
03:05and then a fast bus has come in for somebody wielding a machete and running wild.
03:09So the guys are now going to quickly change direction and react to this. Let's see how this goes.
03:15Back in the military, we call this QBOs, quick back loaders, change of plan.
03:19New brief and the team are rolling. Never a dull moment.
03:23Reaching speeds of up to 90 miles an hour on pedestrian roads takes skill to navigate safely.
03:29Luckily, I'm in good hands with Chris at the wheel and it's what these officers are trained for.
03:34Chris has got to react at speed, so it's really down to him.
03:37I'm in good hands with Chris at the wheel and it's what these officers are trained for.
03:41Chris has got to react at speed, so it's really down to the public and people on the road to be aware
03:46and most are respectful of that and get out of the way.
03:53They said they're on this road somewhere, so they're going to be somewhere in this loop.
03:59Here they are.
04:08We arrived just in time to see the armed rapid response unit dealing with the situation.
04:14Thankfully, before he can do anyone any harm.
04:17As you can see, the reaction is so fast, the firearms are already here and he's banged up. Great job.
04:27I've also got a chance to catch up with the armed response unit to find out what happened.
04:33So the Matrix team is a new concept that Cleveland have embraced just with regards to the crime that we have in Cleveland.
04:39So it's predominantly armed response?
04:41As a unit, the armed response, roads policing.
04:43So what was that incident there?
04:45Early morning, half past eight, we get a call that there's a male attacking a second male with a large machete.
04:50It seems to have been a mini rampage this morning.
04:53It's been in several addresses trying to steal cars, making threats to members of the public.
04:58A fast response and a great result.
05:01Relating back to some of the things that we did in the regiment, slightly different to this, but going up against hard targets.
05:06We always had to have a sense of humour. Is that the same with you guys?
05:09Definitely. If we don't have a sense of humour, I think we wouldn't be able to go home on a night or do the job we have.
05:14Obviously, when the job comes in, we are very professional, but we still have to unwind.
05:19Thankfully, sometimes that good sense of humour gets us through.
05:22I'm starting to feel that already with the teams.
05:24It's just great to see what we used to do is what you guys are doing as well.
05:29It's the same character of people, so great effort.
05:31And Matrix, what a cool sign.
05:33Definitely, thank you.
05:34Brilliant.
05:35Just like the days in the SAS, you go into a brief expecting something, and on the turn of a sixpence, bang, something new.
05:41It's all about flexibility, speed, aggression, surprise, and you've just seen that in action right there.
05:49Once the drama is over, I'm keen to get a sense from Chris what his job entails.
05:55Are you stepping up the community policing like the old-fashioned days where you'd have a couple of coppers on the beat around each bit of a state?
06:01Yeah, so my team is trying to bring back the way of community policing.
06:05The way we work is we'll have PCSOs that will be main contacts for an area.
06:10They are the ones that develop all the intelligence, build up links within the community and things like that.
06:15They feed it back to the police officers in my team who will then act on it.
06:20It's quite a good way of working because it means the PCSOs have brilliant relationships with people in the community.
06:25And they find out things that maybe people would be a little bit more intimidated approaching a police officer about.
06:31So we are trying to get more to the way of being on the beat and being seen in areas.
06:36And people do love it. That's what they love to see.
06:38They want to see a policeman in their area that they can go to.
06:41I mean, I always remember the copper on the beat. I remember his name.
06:44I didn't like him, and he didn't like me, but I felt secure knowing he was there, you know.
06:48I admired the guy, but I was a criminal. I was a bad kid.
06:50So I didn't like him in the fact that I knew he was going to catch me.
06:53And he did catch me all the time.
06:54That's how it should be. The good members of the community should look to them for a sort of safety.
07:01Quickly, another call comes in on the radio.
07:03And just like in the military, we have to react like soldiers dealing with a change of command.
07:09OK, so like I said, there's never a dull moment.
07:12We were just on our way to carry out, again, a planned operation.
07:15Quick call, and we've got a situation which he's a little bit unsure about right now.
07:20We're going to react to it. Let's see what this is about.
07:25This time, Chris and his team have had reports of a man putting himself and the public in potential danger.
07:33There's a guy on top of one of the bridges, climbing up it as we speak.
07:37Right.
07:38It's quite concerning as to what the intention is there.
07:42Yeah, Sierra 1-5-0, show me your tendon as well.
07:49Very similar to as it would be on a regiment call-out, you're heading towards a target and you're getting updates all the time.
07:56So you've got a clear picture of what to expect when you get to the target.
07:59So what we know at the moment, Chris is receiving information of two people climbing a bridge with intentions unknown at this point.
08:10Obviously, you've got to get there rapidly. We're doing about 90 miles an hour right now.
08:13So as you see, when a task builds up, information's coming across, there's no time for hanging around.
08:17You have to get there. Speed, aggression, surprise.
08:22So we're approaching the area of the situation right now, and as you can see, it's quite a big bridge.
08:27You can see somebody up there already.
08:32Yeah, I can see him up there.
08:34With two police cars stopping all the traffic, we make our way onto the bridge,
08:39but I'm surprised to see potentially two people more than 100 foot above me.
08:44Jamie, can you hear us?
08:48We'll get him in cuffs to determine what his intentions are, because, I mean, he's caused a huge public nuisance here.
08:54Luckily, the men are cooperating and start making their way down.
08:58Go steady.
08:59Seemingly unaware of the potential danger they've put themselves in.
09:03Just be careful around there, buddy.
09:05So we've got one of the guys down now, and the second person about three-quarters of the way up at the minute.
09:11So what were your intentions today, man?
09:13Take a picture at the top and come and sit down.
09:15Take a picture.
09:16They might think they're having fun, but with traffic building up on both sides,
09:20these two are potentially up for public disorder offences.
09:24I could have been somewhere a lot more sinister.
09:27It actually turns out a couple of enthusiasts want to take a picture,
09:31but what they've created is complete blockages of the bridge
09:35and disruption to the rest of the public for the next hour.
09:38So, but everything has to be reacted to, and the police are dealing with that now.
09:46I mean, the amount of impact they could have had if one of them had fallen,
09:49or if one of them had got injured up the top, we'd have been in a really difficult situation there.
09:53They just haven't considered the impact on the members of the public at all,
09:56and for that reason, the pair of them have been arrested for being a public nuisance.
10:01So far, we've made three arrests, and we haven't even got round to the proactive raids that we planned.
10:07It just goes to show how reactive you have to be when working community policing.
10:14So, at the end of the day, for these young, keen photographers, this is a bridge too far.
10:24During my time in the SAS, I developed a personal mantra,
10:28always a little further, which I still live by to this day.
10:33In all walks of life, you will find people who will step up and go that extra mile
10:38to help those in need and the most vulnerable.
10:47But it's not always vulnerable human beings that need protecting.
10:52As head of UK's National Wildlife Crime Unit, Chief Inspector Kevin Kelly has spent his career
10:58tackling wildlife crime and the criminals who seek to profit from it.
11:03I've been a wildlife crime officer for 22 years, and that's all of my policing service.
11:08And my journey has always been one of being able to resonate with animals
11:14and also being able to offer them some protection, and that started very early with me.
11:20When you think of the illegal animal trade, images of big game hunters come to mind.
11:27But the UK also has its fair share of issues with poachers.
11:35When we talk about the illegal wildlife trade, we naturally think about pangolins, rhino horn, elephant tusk.
11:41That's correct and that's right to do so, but we have our own grown issues.
11:46The UK is home to some of the rarest birds of prey in the world.
11:52And these are taken at egg or at chick and laundered into the legal falconry industry
11:58to be sold on as a criminal asset.
12:00When it comes to illegal poaching in the UK, the most targeted of these birds of prey is the peregrine falcon.
12:07Peregrine falcons are extremely sought after.
12:10There is a need for wild DNA because they are the fastest on the wing.
12:19Falcons can fetch tens of thousands of pounds internationally,
12:23which led a criminal gang to steal wild birds from nests and pass them off as legal bred captive creatures,
12:30until Kevin stepped in.
12:33Operation Tantallon is the UK's biggest wildlife crime policing operation.
12:38This started off with some relatively low level intelligence that came from the SSPCA,
12:44one of our partners, and working together with them, that intelligence was developed
12:49to the point that we could identify a number of sites that may be attacked.
12:55We managed to ascertain three locations and because of the level of intelligence that we received,
13:02we knew that the criminals were going to raid the nest and they were going to take the eggs
13:07or the newly hatched birds of prey.
13:09Straight out of the SAS toolkit, Kevin and his team gathered intelligence
13:14and put in motion a sting operation involving surveillance around the target nest.
13:20And surprisingly, they went even further, taking DNA just like in a military hunt.
13:27One of the silver bullets for criminals in relation to taking wild birds of prey
13:34is a DNA forensic technique and this helps us ascertain the parentage of the birds.
13:40So, under licence, we were able to attend the nests that we thought were vulnerable,
13:45take DNA swabs from the mother bird and also swab the eggs as well.
13:57They took the chicks' DNA just in time.
13:59The nests were raided by the poachers before the surveillance op had started.
14:04But thanks to their intelligence, they had a prime suspect.
14:08In May 2021, we conducted a search warrant at the suspect's address.
14:14We did an early morning raid and, to our surprise, we found a number of peregrine falcon chicks.
14:22It confirmed that the intelligence was correct and that our suspicions were so as well.
14:27At that address, there was a number of adult birds as well
14:31and the suspects in the case claimed that the chicks were from the adult birds.
14:37Kevin checked the DNA of the chicks they had found
14:40and also the DNA of the suspect adult birds.
14:44They got a conclusive result.
14:46The lemps Kevin and his team went to with regards to DNA
14:49and forensics intelligence gathering paid off
14:52and the suspects were charged and convicted of wildlife offences
14:56and ordered to pay back £40,000 of ill-gotten gains
15:01they had amassed from the illegal trade of wild birds.
15:04But the best part of the investigation was that we were able to find evidence
15:09that the lemps were actually from the adult birds.
15:13This is international organised crime.
15:17We have organised criminals that are very good at what they do,
15:22exploiting our systems, the systems that should protect our birds of prey.
15:31It's going to take a lot of time.
15:33It's going to take a lot of time.
15:35It's going to take a lot of time.
15:37To protect our birds of prey...
15:42It's commonplace in the United Kingdom for people to want to protect wildlife.
15:47We have to have our finger on the pulse to keep on top of this
15:50because if we don't, who's going to protect our birds?
15:54Who's going to give a voice to the voiceless?
16:03Back in Stockton, the team get ready for today's raids.
16:07And with the drone already up in the air to track any possible runners,
16:11the team are primed and focused.
16:14Back at the station, Chris is briefing the team.
16:17Lee and Sean are obviously going to put the door in.
16:19I want a couple straight inside,
16:21but I want as many people as I can on the outside
16:23just watching all the windows until he's detained.
16:25Those that go inside are going to be in possession of PSU shields.
16:28So if you just get in, get him detained as quickly as possible in one room,
16:31handcuffed, everyone at you. Brilliant.
16:33They're dealing with a potentially dangerous suspect,
16:36so they want to take no chances and are planning a quick entry.
16:42The man they are after is a suspected drug dealer,
16:45with many people on the estate complaining about his behaviour.
16:49The police want to send a message
16:51that this illegal activity will not be tolerated.
16:54So we're just rolling into position now.
16:56Everybody's formed up, ready to go.
16:58Flashbacks to the old days of being in the military.
17:01Briefed up, check brief, roll, strike.
17:04This will be short and sharp.
17:06And that's a sub-target.
17:08Just like in the SES, we don't want to give the suspect time to escape,
17:12as he is a known and repeat offender.
17:14That's the team deploying now.
17:16That's the method of entry team, bang, straight in.
17:18Cut-offs around the back.
17:20That's the team now entering.
17:22Police!
17:24Police! Anyone in?
17:31No-one in.
17:33Right.
17:35We haven't got any sign of anyone in the address.
17:37However, we'll now let the search begin.
17:44This, for us, would be called a dry hall,
17:46but there's still a big search to be done,
17:48so we're now moving to the second phase.
17:51No luck this time, although I have a sixth sense
17:54that this guy has made a sharp exit.
18:00That's...
18:02That's weird.
18:06The bathwater's still slightly warm,
18:08and there's a gold watch on the side there.
18:10OK, so that was the first target taken down now.
18:13Quick strike, that's contained.
18:15Chris is going to leave the team here to deal with that,
18:18and he's already been called on to a second task
18:20and warranted that we're going to go and chase now.
18:22So, stand by.
18:25So now that we've made ourselves known
18:27and made a spectacle in the process,
18:29it's important that we move rapidly to the next address.
18:36Even before I've got a chance to get out of the car,
18:39the team are already at the second address.
18:42Police!
18:44So, that's the method of entry team, just made entry.
18:47The team's secure in the front and the back.
18:49This proactive policing is just like the disruption
18:52we did back in the regiment.
18:54At this stage, we don't have clearance to go into the building,
18:57so we'll just observe from the outside.
19:00Enforcement, but also showing the community
19:03who are dealing with antisocial behaviour.
19:06But the police think he may have got a tip-off and done a runner.
19:09What's the latest, then, Chris?
19:11When we went up the stairs, there's quite clear signs of drug use.
19:14The hitcher is going straight away, you know.
19:16Just by the side of that, there's a knife,
19:18so there was always a bit of a risk,
19:20and maybe it's fortunate he hasn't been in,
19:22but hopefully the drone will pick him up if he is in the nearby area.
19:25That's the problem with places like this.
19:27If we come in, people will give him the tip-off, and it is difficult.
19:31But, again, he's not here, but he's looking over his shoulder.
19:34He's on the run.
19:35The situation is the door's going to need to be repaired,
19:38and we will be the ones in possession of the key,
19:40so if he wants to get back in, he'll have to come and have a chat with us.
19:44Now it's time to do some trace and search.
19:47So, the task is still under way.
19:49The security team are in there, they've got that locked down,
19:52and they're doing a search, a secondary search,
19:54and we're going to now, with the rest of the teams, scan the area,
19:57do a complete mobile check and see if we can find the guy
20:00who's certainly on the run.
20:03And with the help of the drone above us, I wonder what we'll find.
20:13The police are very different to the SAS in many ways,
20:16but they're very similar in others.
20:18And I'm learning more about these brave officers
20:22and the tactics they're using,
20:24which I can relate to during my time in the SAS.
20:29These are my top three.
20:31First up, reconnaissance.
20:34Out with trading standards doing test purchases,
20:37it's vital to be undercover.
20:42OK, so I've got a potential target down there,
20:44so what I'm going to do now is going to go in and see if we can do a test buy.
20:47So I'll just go on as a normal punter, let's see what we come out with.
20:53Normal punter, stand by.
20:58Got any decent vapes, mate? Any decent vapes?
21:01I've been involved in countless covert operations with the SAS,
21:05but impersonating a man trying to buy illegal vapes is a first for me.
21:11Next, surveillance.
21:15Whether it's a good old-fashioned stakeout or something more covert,
21:19the quality of your surveillance can make or break a live operation.
21:23Some police, private detectives and other enforcement teams
21:27have very clever military-style kit at their disposal.
21:31Dave McKelvie is a tech-savvy private detective.
21:35This van's equipped with cameras in the roof, all round the sides,
21:39all hidden cameras.
21:41It's got the two-way radio system that we can talk to each other.
21:44Established with a view on the window.
21:47It's used as a command and control vehicle.
21:50It's got a drone in the back that we can use and we can see.
21:54It's got its own Wi-Fi system built in.
21:58And even local councils have started to use surveillance techniques
22:02I used in the army to catch people.
22:04Like this ex-army council officer, who needs his identity hidden.
22:09So this is the camera we use.
22:11Very, very small, easy to conceal, good long leads.
22:15We do often bury all this equipment.
22:17It's waterproof, it can operate really well in harsh conditions.
22:21We really adapt our equipment to where we're actually going to place it.
22:25And that's a skill I learnt in the army.
22:27In the military, if we did surveillance on a target,
22:30it usually led to us hitting them hard and fast.
22:33Timing is everything.
22:35And I'm seeing police forces doing the same thing
22:38when they encounter some criminals.
22:40It's prep for action, two minutes to target and then strike.
22:44Team five, position.
22:46On a live op with Greater Manchester Police,
22:49speed, aggression, surprise is the rule of thumb
22:52when taking down a suspected drug dealer.
22:55All teams now in position.
22:58All teams, stay amber. Strike, strike, strike.
23:01Right, let's go.
23:04Right, that's the teams now rolling into position.
23:07I've been on operations like this in Europe and South America,
23:11where it's crucial to seize a suspect quickly.
23:14This is the target building.
23:16That's the MOE team moving to target.
23:19Go, mate, go.
23:21OK, so the MOE's clearance now.
23:23Go in, stand by.
23:34Clear!
23:36Hard, fast hits are what the SAS are all about.
23:40Grab a target and get them talking.
23:42We call it the shock of capture.
23:45Arresting a suspect is only part of the puzzle.
23:48You need evidence to put them away.
23:51And finally, search.
23:54Large cartons.
23:55When it comes to effective searching, in all scenarios,
23:58there's one method that has its nose out in front.
24:02Griff the dog is on to something.
24:05There's a shower room at the back of the shop.
24:08Griff is given an indication.
24:11That's what he's been trained to do
24:13if his nose tells him there's tobacco nearby.
24:16But I can't see anywhere he could be.
24:19But a quick dig reveals this car farm.
24:22One push and...
24:27..amazing.
24:30We've managed to get the door open,
24:32and as you can see, Griff has found the gold.
24:35No messing, straight in there. What have you got, Griff?
24:38Most human search teams would have seen nothing.
24:41But Griff the search dog searches for tobacco
24:44with more senses than just sight.
24:47There's no hiding from Griff, is there?
24:53But overall, what I'm learning is that these operational methods,
24:57such as surveillance, reconnaissance, search and disruption,
25:02are key to police and enforcement agencies.
25:11Back in Stockton, we're still looking for a suspect
25:14scouring the streets for a man I'm told has an unusual haircut.
25:18Hopefully he'll stick out like a sore thumb.
25:20I think he's in the nearby area. The drone's up.
25:22We're just going to do a search, see if we can pick him up anywhere.
25:25So we've got foot patrols, mobile patrols and the drone.
25:28Yeah. We've got plenty of results.
25:30But it doesn't take long for Chris to get another call-up on the radio.
25:34Zero, I'm on my way. If he's there, I'll have him.
25:37The police have eyes on a known prolific shoplifter
25:40that they've been trying to catch for weeks.
25:43So there's someone else that we were looking for.
25:46We locked up the other day and got released again,
25:49and he's wanted again for further offences of the exact same,
25:52and apparently he's outside the library, just on the right here.
25:55He's had multiple community complaints made against him,
25:58and Chris is keen to catch this suspect.
26:01150, where is this lad? We're at the library now.
26:04He's probably the one that will make off the second he sees the police vehicle.
26:09If I don't get him at the earliest opportunity next week,
26:12I'll have 30, 40 to deal with.
26:14Yeah, he must be inside.
26:21With all the crash and bang of today's action,
26:25I never thought we'd end up in the quietest place in Stockton,
26:29the public library.
26:31So we received a call for a task, which was a suspect
26:34that they've been looking for for a number of days,
26:37who's been picked up before,
26:39and they've now just arrested him at the location we are now.
26:45But the police have always got a job to do,
26:48even if it means whispering the suspect his rights.
26:52I'm arresting you for theft. It may harm your defence,
26:55but do not mention when questioned something to do with a car.
26:58Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?
27:01Yeah?
27:07So, in the Stockton area, we have the top five most prolific shoplifters.
27:11The individual here is usually top of that list,
27:14so we really need to deal with him quickly,
27:16or he will cause chaos in the community.
27:18Well, now you've got him, so no more thieving today.
27:22There's always tomorrow. Yeah.
27:24And for Chris and Cleveland Police,
27:27I'm sure tomorrow will bring another busy day.
27:32That's another task done, another good job.
27:39On live operations, anything can happen.
27:42A good soldier remains calm, focused,
27:47and ready to react to anything the job throws at them.
27:51And it's the same with community policing.
27:54Things might not always go to plan,
27:56but the overall duty is to protect and serve.