The BBC have filmed a series over two years with unprecedented access to Greater Manchester Police, offering frontline insight into one police force’s battle against organised crime.
The first episode focuses on a spate of kidnappings and torturing of victims by a gang involved in extortion of money with menace.
Police are called after a man was taken from his home in Central Manchester by an armed gang in front of his wife and children. He was held hostage and was tortured, but this victim is thought to be only one of a list of people the gang plan to extort money.
The victims themselves, many known to Police as criminals themselves who’ve amassed wealth from selling of illicit drugs, and are therefore thought to be targets by other gangs keen to extort money.
The gang featured in the episode below, whose main protagonist is Darren Berkeley, a seasoned criminal known to Greater Manchester Police with a history of violence and intimidation since the 90s, and thought to be a criminal influencer who ‘controls’ parts of Manchester. Police also identify Paris Bostock; Blake Evers, Carlos Buller and Elliot Cummings as his accomplices involved in the kidnappings.
After locating the address where the victim was held, forensic evidence leads officers to name suspects. As the hunt is on to find these dangerous criminals another horrific kidnap happens. The Major Incident Team (MIT) suspect it could be the same gang, and trawling through CCTV they find harrowing footage of the kidnap in action. As the investigation unfolds specialist undercover and firearms units are assigned to find and arrest the gang.
The operation took place in 2019 and they were sentenced at trial in Manchester Crown Court. Berkeley received 12 years; Bostock 9 years, Blake Evers 19 years, and Cummings 6 years. Buller was found not guilty and released.
sentenced to prison for kidnapping and violent offences in Manchester (photo source: Manchester Evening News )
The series first episode can be watched below, it was broadcast on Tuesday 23rd March at 9pm GMT.
Episode 2 will be broadcast by the BBC 2 next Tuesday at 9pm GMT. The series music is produced by Mat Davidson (for further information visit http://www.matdavidson.com/ )
The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime is a nail-biting new documentary series on BBC Two.
Entertainment Weekly
For a link to the Open University test on visual recollection click OpenLearn – Open University also there is information on Manchester’s Crime in 2019-2021 here.
If you would like to see the full detective series to date please click here
Please Note : This post will be removed on the completion of the lowest term of sentence completed and, it will take into consideration an automatic reduction of sentence. As to remember that the offender has served the sentence time imposed. (sched. 2 years)
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