Cars, Cops & Criminals

Big Business follows the police as they track down the organized crime networks making millions shipping stolen cars abroad and reveals how gangs steal identities to carry out the growing crime of Vehicle Insurance Fraud. Up to 20,000 luxury cars are stolen from Britain’s streets every year and illegally exported by criminal gangs in a multi-million pound business. Cyprus is one of the biggest destinations for these cars, and Big Business accompanies teams from the Metropolitan Police’s Stolen Vehicle Unit as they head to the island to track down stolen cars and teach the Cypriot police how to identify which cars have been illegally exported.

Casting the Net highlights the new technology and tactics that the police are using to catch crooks as they travel around the country. It shows the devastating effects of number plate cloning—with criminals using sophisticated, and not-so-sophisticated techniques to steal other cars’ identities—often resulting in thousands of pounds of fines and a visit from the bailiffs for the unfortunate victims.

Moving On follows the police as they use the latest technology to catch crooks breaking into the cars around the upmarket streets of Chelsea. The episode highlights the increasing problem of so called "two and one" break-ins: car security systems are now so good that criminals are increasingly breaking into houses to steal car keys, often while the occupants are at home. The episode also follows officers as they fight the rise in freight crime; with crooks targeting high-value loads being transported around the country.