[Music] The UK border agency is at war with smugglers in the ports and airports. >> You don't have to say anything. >> Get that out of my face. >> Coming up in Gatwick, officers arrest a drug smuggler after making a painful discovery. >> It's what we would call a stuffers package, which would be put up somebody's backside. Probably >> not scared of customs officers, are you? Officers stop a man traveling with a boy and it turns out he's not the father. >> So, you've been asked to take this child back to its mom. >> And smug answers don't wash with border officers in Manchester. >> Don't insult my intelligence mates. On your best day, you're not as good as me on my worst day. [Music] In Gatwick, a flight has arrived from Montego Bay. During a routine passenger search, UK border officers have found a package that looks like it could contain drugs. The passenger has been arrested. >> Uh the lady came off the Montego Bay flight and uh she was intercepted by one of our officers. Upon searching her bag, he found a package which we believed to contain cocaine. Took her to a search room whilst the package was being tested. The package tested positive for cocaine. >> Knowing she's been caught red-handed, the woman accesses to other packages of drugs hidden under her clothes. >> But this is uh what was found in the back of the suitcase. >> It's what we would call a stuffers package, which would be put up somebody's uh backside probably. But that was found in the bag and that was what we uh decided and made it a job. And then uh during the ship search we found >> this which is all full of cocaine attached to her waist. >> The audacious smuggling attempt also involved some highly modified underwear. >> Just a little uh body packer suit filled with cocaine. It's a massive amount of drugs for one person to be carrying. >> Nearly 2 and a half kilos of coke on the body. >> The seizure demonstrates the officer's skill in identifying smugglers. >> Just stopped just to ask her a few questions. No real reason to stop her over anybody else. Historically, we tend to get more cannabis than we do cocaine on the flight. So she obviously saw her opportunity knowing what she had on her person and just walked through the channels. Unfortunately for her, she was stopped. Are we cuffing? >> Suddenly realizing how much trouble she's in, the woman goes into shock. [Music] Right. No more jumping around. Okay, stand up straight. Yeah, you're going to walk with me. >> You're going to walk yourself. >> I know it's hard, but you just need to >> The woman is taken to a holding bay for further questioning. Officers will need to be extra vigilant to ensure that she doesn't try to harm herself again. In Manchester, officers have received a call for backup from the other terminal. A passenger's fruit has given a massive hit for class A drugs. >> We've just been called over to terminal 3. Um there's a lady, I believe, traveling from Barbados. Um is it via Gatwick, Gary, or Heathrow? It's on one of the shuttles. Uh we believe they found cocaine in yams. Um, so we're just coming over uh to see what's going on. >> Cocaine can be hidden anywhere and with a street value of £50,000 per kilo, smugglers will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid detection. >> Have you x-rayed them? >> I've x-rayed them just a bulky mat. Um, >> you couldn't tell. Okay. >> From the x-ray whatsoever. >> The initial trace was off the scale, but border officer Liz thinks it may be a false alarm. Okay, we're not sure we've actually got anything. Um, the officer has spiked one of the yams and he's got a really high reading for cocaine off the uh off the machine there, but it's possible just contamination on the on the on the spike. So, we're just going to cut right into these. We've had it in mangoes, coconuts, pineapples. Looks like there's nothing in these though, unfortunately. >> Investigating further, the officers discover more potentially incriminating details. The woman's passport is brand new and her ticket was paid for in cash. >> Is someone meeting her? >> Her mom says she's someone's meeting. >> I mean, if if you want to put stab vest on. Yeah. And go and have a word and just verify a story. There's no harm there. >> Still suspicious, the officers decide to investigate the woman's claim she's being met by her mother. Obviously for our protection, we need to have body armor on in case if it is a drugs job, the people who are meeting will obviously be looking for those drugs and be rather upset. So, you need to be armored up. >> Just going to take your shoes for a second. That's yours as well. >> Officers continue to carry out further tests for drugs. >> Go ahead. When someone's got an internal concealment for drugs, their sweat um comes out onto the shoes and the drugs shows in the sweat. So, it's an indication that they might have something. They could have taken something, but it gives us grounds to to do um an internal body scan or something like that. >> It's come back negative, so there's no trace on the shoes. The woman's ordeal continues as the team carry out more drug tests on the baggage. >> But she's not really got many clothes or anything for a month's stay. It's that bag as well. That's a bag constellation that a while ago we had a lot of seizures in. >> A radio message comes through from the officers sent to meet the woman's mother. >> No, there's no one out here waiting for her. >> Yes. Yes. It's very strange though that her mom's not waiting for her outside. if but you know that in itself is not enough is it? So she might have been delayed. >> With no sign of the mother, the woman remains under arrest until the officers can prove that she's telling the truth. In Gatwick, the woman found carrying 2 and 12 kilos of cocaine has been transported to the custody cells. >> You okay? >> Keep walking forward. Have you got anything inside you that's hurting? >> No. >> Do you want to come forward? Having tried to harm herself, officers have handcuffed the woman for her own protection. >> If the officer takes you, I understand you were banging your head upstairs. If the officer takes your cuffs off, you promised me not to do that here. >> Just move this way. >> I don't want you dam I'm here to look after your welfare and your rights and your health. I don't want you damaging yourself while you're here. So this lady's arrived from Montego Bay this morning. Search of a handbaggage revealed a cylindrical package cut was made in the package which revealed a white paste. [Music] Harold sorry cut here. [Music] Have you also swallowed? I need to know from a health and safety point of view. If you have, it's a danger to yourself. >> I don't take drugs. >> So, you haven't swallowed anything as well. >> Okay, Mr. >> Having found a substantial amount of cocaine on her person. Officers must make sure she doesn't search >> anywhere else. And then there's the headpiece. >> All right. I didn't even notice that was [Music] not seen that yet. >> Yeah, I've searched it already. When we told her that we were going to take her to custody um and put her into a cell, she started slapping her own face and banging her head on the table, which is obviously not a good sign. So myself and another officer ran into the room and restrained her and applied some handcuffs. We now have to watch her because of her behavior. And you know, we have to be extra alert, not knowing how she's going to react when she gets locked into a cell, how she's going to act when she's on her own, if she's going to try and harm herself. >> Do feel sorry for them sometimes because you wonder what it takes for them to actually do something like this. Yeah. Just that amount on the person. 2 and 12 kilos is a lot to have. It's It's quite greedy. Having already shown signs that she's prepared to self harm, officers must ensure that nothing further happens to her whilst in their custody. >> Because of that sort of thing, she might try and top herself. So, we have to watch them on camera. >> And she'll have to get used to being locked up. She was sentenced to 7 years in prison. [Music] In Manchester, officers are discussing the woman arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine in yams. >> Don't really think I've got enough to do any further. >> I don't think you've got enough to go any further to be honest with you. >> But obviously the reason you arrest her in the first place is because you you thought you had drugs in the yams. Now, if you haven't um >> to an arrest, >> well, yeah, but wait for Gary to come back in and see what Gary says, cuz obviously he's uh he's in charge. But I would say you haven't really got enough. Officer Gary radios through to say he's finally met the woman's mother outside. >> All right. Okay. >> Having found no further evidence of cocaine, officers accept their false readings must have come from using a contaminated knife. >> We've we've looked in your bags. We've looked further. Um, and in further investigation looking into the yams and stuff, there isn't anything in there. We've made a mistake. When we tested it, it's given a false reading on our machine. So, there isn't anything in there. So, you're no longer under arrest. And I want to apologize for keeping you, >> but thank you for your patience anyway. And you can relax now. Okay. So, we're going to repack all your bags and then we'll get let you go outside. All right. Okay. And hopefully you'll enjoy your holiday here. >> Whilst it's been an unnecessary ordeal for the woman, it shows that class A drug hits must be investigated properly to ensure only guilty smugglers end up behind bars. Okay, that's the the way in. Okay, just keep going through. Thank you. >> It's a quiet afternoon at Manchester airport. A flight from Sweden has just landed and UK border officers have caught a suspected cigarette smuggler walking through baggage reclaim. >> We've got three big uh three big suitcases full of Syrians. So, we're going to have to uh come down. They're all going to need this Lafian. I think we have to come down. We could have a looks like they're all loose in that. So, we're going to have to count them. Do >> you speak English? >> Don't mess Don't mess around >> a bit. Yeah, you can see you speak enough English to smuggle cigarettes. >> Right. What flight you on? >> Getting a ticket. >> Stockholm flight. What carousel were you on? >> This carousel. >> The man started his journey in Estonia, a known source country for cheap cigarettes. Just noticed this guy leaving and they're all full. Where'd you come from? Uh Sweden. So he starts his journey Estonia. When did you fly back to Estonia? >> No. >> H I don't know. >> What do you mean you don't know? >> No, some time. >> You must have a ticket to go back to Estonia. >> Yes, I know. >> Well, when when is it? >> I don't give it yet. >> You haven't been given it yet? I haven't haven't board it yet. >> No. When what day are you flying back to Estonia? >> I didn't I haven't decid. >> Seasoned officer Gary isn't amused by the man's vague answers. >> I've just come obviously got to come outside and saw this guy wandering around outside looking for the exit. And when I looked at his bags, they look quite >> they look quite square. So when I went over to speak to him, he told me he was from Estonia, which is a place where a lot of people bring cigarettes in from. When I felt the bag, they were rock hard, which suggests to us that they're full of cigarettes. And they they are. >> Happy days. >> So, how many times have you been to the UK? A >> few. >> How many? >> The man's failure to answer simple questions is starting to annoy Gary. Look, let's get let's start from the beginning. Don't don't play stupid, right? >> What do you mean? >> Don't pretend that you don't know how many times you've been to the UK. You do know. Is it once, twice, three times, 10 times? >> Three or four. >> Well, that's fine. Then that's the answer. >> I don't remember exactly. >> What do you mean you don't remember? When was the last time you came here? Long time ago. When? I can go in and check the airlines. So, either tell me the truth or I'll find out. >> I tell you, maybe a couple of months, >> right? And on that occasion, you had cigarettes as well. >> No. >> No. >> As officers uncover more and more cigarettes, it looks like it could be their biggest seizure ever. At Gatwick Airport, passengers are preparing to board a flight to Ghana. The UK border officer's cash team is using specially trained sniffer dogs to search out large amounts of money which could have links to organized crime. >> Okay. Not scared of customs officers, are you? Sorry. >> Not scared of customs officers. This ticket, did you buy this yourself? >> No, my sponsor. >> You who? >> My sponsor bought it. >> Your sponsor >> in Ghana. >> In Ghana. As well as looking for large sums of cash, officers are on the lookout for drugs and to check the immigration status of passengers. >> Hello. >> Do you carry any cash with you today? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> You can show us how much you have with you. >> Um I think it's [Music] >> Yeah. How much do you have? That's the question I asked. >> Money, 15. >> Any more? >> Any more cash? My personal cash. How much you have in total? Uh >> roughly >> roughly roughly let's say about 400 small. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> The man's answers are not entirely convincing for senior officer Paul. >> Hello. It was just two of you traveling. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Just have a quick word with you. >> Now you got your hands full there. >> You told the officer when the the dog indicated you had £400 in personal cash. Yeah. Are you carrying any cash for anybody else at all? >> Yeah, that's one thing. I mean, it's small. >> How much have you got in total? >> Um, 50. >> Could you show me that, please? >> Is there any more cash in the baggage here? >> No, no, no. >> So, who does the child belong to? Is it your son? Is it just [Music] >> So, you've been asked to take this child back to its mom. >> Okay, hold on a second. >> The man's story rings alarm bells for Paul. >> How much do you have? needs your help in a minute. >> Okay. >> What's your relationship? >> It's a family friend. >> And where's the father at the moment? >> The father is at the airport. >> At the airport. He's not flying though. >> No, he's not. >> This gentleman's taken a child out that's not his. >> Right. >> With the flight due to leave in 20 minutes. Officers have a race against time to verify the man's story. >> So, um, where do where does where does the child normally live? In Ghana or in the UK? >> Um, this is my first time here. came to meet him here, >> right? >> And we go to check together and he asked me if I can do him a favor, take his son to Ghana. But the dad is at the airport. >> So the parents live in the UK. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Right. >> What we've got a situation where a gentleman is traveling out with a small boy. Um he's not related to the child. U so I'm going to try and make some inquiries with the parents um to check where the child normally lives. child appears to have been here about a year on a visit visa which is um possibly longer than we would expect on that type of visa. So I'd want to know what the immigration status of the parents is as well really. >> With passengers starting to board the plane, a decision must be made imminently about whether the man and the child will be leaving the full number. >> In Manchester, officers are still counting the thousands of cigarettes intercepted from an Estonian smuggler. So, who are you meeting outside? >> Nobody. >> Who are you giving these cigarettes to? >> Somebody. >> Yeah. Who? Don't you know his name? >> Uh, I don't know. I I just uh bring it here and >> and he will take them off you outside. >> No. Who? >> Where do you have >> me myself? >> Where do you have to go to hand them over? >> Manchester. >> Maybe. Maybe [ __ ] London >> maybe. I It's not the point where >> No, it is to me. It may not be to you, but I'm asking you. Where do you take the cigarette? If you don't know, don't they tell you where the cigarettes are going? >> Well, the Well, you're not doing this on your own, are you? It's obviously a gang. >> Where can the >> Don't insult my intelligence, mate. Right. On your best day, you're not as good as me on my worst day. Right. So, either say nothing, don't give me any rubbish. I know what's going on here. Right. >> It takes three officers to count the enormous hall of cigarettes. >> Total count is 46,560. [Music] It's a huge seizure of cigarettes with a street value of more than £20,000. >> As you're probably aware, all these cigarettes are going to be seized. Do you understand that? And all the bags that they were carried in are going to be seized, right? Why? >> Because I said so. Right. What I'm doing now, I'm getting a receipt for the cigarettes. Wise. Going to give you a receipt. I'm going to give you a warning letter cuz next time you will be arrested. Do you understand that? You come in here with all these cigarettes again, I will arrest you. Understand? Okay, there's the door. >> With no previous convictions, the man is allowed to go free, but next time he'll end up behind bars. >> They try and think that they can say whatever they want to say. No, at the end of the day, we will arrest these people. It's I just don't like the idea that they can just be so blas about it all. Uh as if we can't do anything about it. Well, we will. At Gatwick Airport, officers have just minutes to decide whether a child will be allowed to leave for Ghana with a man who isn't his father. >> Right. I've just checked the status of the um mother and the father. The father appears to be in the UK on some sort of permit. >> If you hold the line one second, the father on the phone. >> Hello sir. Hi. I'm saying you're the child's father, right? Yeah. Um, and you've you've given a covering letter um for Mr. Bonsu to travel with a child. Okay. Can you just confirm for me, sir, what's your own immigration status in the UK? How long would have you got your visa for? >> Do you know when they rejected that application? When would that be roughly? >> You can understand the reasons why. We need to make sure. >> Don't want me to sign. >> Exactly. Exactly. That's the reason especially particularly with children. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And you have you made any application um for the child to be in the UK as a resident? >> As the final call is made for all remaining passengers, officers must quickly make a decision. You >> right there, Jane? >> Yeah. Um I've spoken to the father and I've done some checks with our own database and he's able to verify some of what's on there. So I'm happy that he is the father. >> So are you going to allow? >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm endorsing the passports with their departure date. with the the child's anyway because he's been here too long on the wrong visa basically. Um but the checks um confirm our record. So yeah, I'm going to allow them to travel. Better get them on their way though. Okay, I spoke to the father and he's verified most of my checks. So that's fine. Okay, there you go. Cheers then. Thank you. >> Although under pressure, the officers are happy they've made the right decision. was very aware that the clock's ticking and you've got to make a decision, you know, whether to offload them and make a whole load more inquiries. But, um, >> yeah, I think I wrapped it up just in time. >> In Manchester 2 weeks later, officers had an even bigger cigarette seizure from Eastern Europe, although Gary is yet to see the Estonian man again. [Music]