♪ ♪ Here is £26 million worth of pure gold in the possession of people who didn't expect to have it.

♪ ♪ The only way the gold turns into money is if they manage to sell it back into the market.

Gold!

BOYCE: Brian Reader?

You sure?

100%, sir.

Summat's going on in Kent.

OSBORNE: This will only get faster and faster till one day, it's all gone.

How long?

A month.

Two at the most.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (wind blowing, animals chittering) (engines revving in distance) (vehicles approaching) Come on!

Come on!

(men shouting, doors closing) There we go!

Move!

Move!

Come on!

(engines idling) There we go, fast, fast!

(speaks Krio) SOLDIER: Move!

Move, move, move!

(men shouting indistinctly) (engines revving) SENESIE (speaking Krio): ABU: (birds chirping) (church bells tolling) (gate unlocks) 0950: Brian Reader arriving at the home of Kenneth Noye.

(dogs barking in distance) Did you get him?

NEIL (on radio): No, not clearly.

I'll get him on the way back.

(sips) (sips) (swallows) (birds chirping) (gate unlocks) NEIL (on radio): Got him.

BOYCE: It appears we've found the first link in the chain.

Kenneth Noye has the gold, Brian Reader is moving it.

If we can prove that, then we can move on to more interesting areas, like our gold merchant-- tell us about the house.

Wish I could, sir-- couldn't see much.

Security?

Camera on the gates.

Couple of dogs chained up-- nothing significant.

Right, let's speak to air support, get some aerials, pull the land records, and check on the neighbors.

Oh, and we have this tracker for a week, before Belfast notices it's gone.

Let's see where Reader's going.

(people talking in background) OSBORNE: Oh!

I'm getting goosebumps.

He's like, um, he's like Wellington, Waterloo, you know, in the... Cheers, fellas, yes.

(breathes deeply, swallows) What, what's this, then?

Tenerife.

We leave on Friday-- two weeks.

I can't.

You can.

I'm not finished.

You can't live like this, John.

You're working every night, breathing in God-knows-what, then driving half-asleep to every market in England.

GIRL: Hey, Daddy!

MARNIE (quietly): You're gonna kill yourself.

GIRL: We're going on holiday!

Yeah, so I hear.

Can you read it to me?

No.

Please?

I said no!

All right?

(softly): Hey, your daddy's tired, okay, sweetheart?

You go on up, I'll come read it to you, yeah?

(aloud): Whatever it is, it can wait two weeks.

(inhales) (knock at door, door opens) (jazz playing) (Tony breathes deeply) Sir?

We're having a little difficulty with the land records for Noye's house, sir.

Course you are.

TONY: They were placed under the Official Secrets Act.

When?

1942.

(picks up receiver) FORDHAM: If Reader doesn't go to bed soon, we'll be clocked.

If we haven't been already.

We've been here too long.

He's got to go up at some point.

They'll be playing the bloody anthem soon.

We can't wait that long.

(door opens) Let's do it on the move.

(engine starts) ♪ ♪ (door opens and closes) That was gravy, that was, son.

(soft orchestral music playing over TV) BOYCE: Noye owns 20 acres from here to here.

Somewhere in there are three underground bunkers used by intelligence agents before they were dropped over France.

Officially, they were sealed in 1945, but, if Noye's found them, one can imagine he's put them to use.

The gold is either here or being brought here in batches.

They knock off the serial numbers, then move it on.

We just need to follow Reader to find out where it goes.

We'll set up surveillance points here and here.

Fordham, you tell me what you need.

Brightwell, get yourself a spanner.

Mm-hmm.

(birds chirping) Your phones back on, then?

They've not been off.

Really?

Why do you ask?

READER (clicks tongue): Yeah.

He was kosher-- British Telecom.

(sniffs): Let's change things up.

♪ ♪ NICKI: Why're you doing that, then?

I'm trying not to do anything, Nic.

I don't want to be the copper who loses his own wheel in a pursuit.

(chuckles) (gate unlocks, opens, Tony sniffs) ♪ ♪ Here we go.

♪ ♪ Suspect two leaving.

(car approaching) Unit one, tracker live.

Unit one, proceed with caution.

Unit two to control-- what are our orders, sir?

Back to HQ, and stay off the frequency.

(both sigh) (turn signal clicking) He's taken us around the houses here, sir.

HARRY (on radio): Then he's wary.

Hang back.

(static buzzes) (Neil groans) ♪ ♪ (sighs) Contact.

Did he see you?

Possible.

Let's see where he's going.

(tracker beeping) Heading south on Alma Road, sir, back into town.

He can't have much left in the tank.

BOYCE: That's a train station.

HARRY: Huh, switching it up.

Clever boy.

Huh.

How about a bit of shopping, Tone?

Hm?

Ain't it your missus' birthday?

(inhales deeply): I've already got her a patio.

You got her a what?

She likes patios.

I think.

What chance have we got when blokes like you buy us patios for our birthdays?

HARRY (on radio): Unit two, how far are you from Reigate Station?

Uh, unit two, ten minutes away.

We just went past the turn-off.

Unit two, Reader's switching to a train-- get on it.

Yes, sir.

(tires squealing, siren wailing) You can have a lot of fun on a patio.

Shut up!

(both laugh) PARRY: My lot, they broke their backs working these docks, Mr.

Cooper.

Now we own the lot of them.

How long for planning?

Sorted out enough councilors to get it down to a few weeks.

I'll set up the sale.

Shame, though, eh?

Not to see it through.

The money has to keep moving.

Besides, you had the vision, Gordon.

Anything that happens down here now, you started it.

That should be a source of pride.

We used to come mudlarking down here when we were kids.

Dig around at low tide.

We'd find teeth, bones.

Bits of old pottery.

One day, we thought we'd go out west, thought we'd have a dig around in the mud in Chelsea.

Do you know what we found, Mr.

Cooper?

(chuckles) Coins.

Jewelry.

One lad, he found a silver cigar box.

That's how deep it goes in this city, Mr.

Cooper, the divide.

It's in the mud.

Edwyn.

You can call me Edwyn.

See you later, Mr.

Cooper.

(gulls squawking) (spits) ♪ ♪ (brakes squeak, parking brake engages) (car approaching) ♪ ♪ BOYCE (voiceover): It looks like we have our next link.

John Palmer.

Decent little record for fraud, director of a gold trader, owner of jewelry shops across the West Country.

This is our compromised gold merchant?

I should say so, yeah-- they've just filed their V.A.T.

Previous quarter saw an income of £82,000.

This quarter was six million.

Why'd they report it?

Uh, well, they have to-- the bullion merchants reports the purchase; the accounts have to match.

But, I mean, this is all we can see without letting them know we're looking-- you'd need court orders for anything else.

Well, we would.

But if they're paying V.A.T., they could be inspected.

Fancy a trip to Bristol?

Him?

I do a little amateur dramatics, if that helps.

I shouldn't have thought so.

Hm, I don't know.

You've not seen my Fagin.

(chuckles) Just get us what comes next.

I will, I will.

KENNETH: Okay, no more big drops-- too risky.

Jesus, Kenny.

(inhales deeply): We're changing it, right?

Smaller deposits, different banks, okay?

And you'll drive yourself.

Got to keep my head down, Jeannie.

Are you taking the piss?

And don't break the speed limit.

Well, not much chance of that!

(sniffs) Five banks, five drops.

Okay?

(sighs) That's a lot of money, Kenny.

Yeah.

(exhales) And I could do with an holiday.

When you get to my age, you need a bit of sun to cover the cracks.

Well, not long now, Jeannie, and we'll all be on holiday.

(John clears throat) It's all there.

This is-- it's quite the year you guys are having, innit?

(chuckles): Yeah.

Yeah, it's feast and famine, this game.

Where are you selling it?

(inhales): Um, domestic trade.

Yeah, and where are you sourcing it?

Uh, Constantino Precious Metals.

It's in Hatton Garden.

(sniffs, clears throat) There's the importation license.

Thanks.

(clears throat) It comes in through a licensed importer, and we buy it in bulk... Mm-hmm.

...under the margins.

Clean it up, sell it on-- it ain't difficult.

(humming) Wait, have you... Have you been there?

Where?

Uh, Sierra Leone.

(laughs): He makes cowboy films, don't he?

(all laughing) Yes, uh, according to this, you're sourcing the gold from a single mine in, um, in Sierra Leone.

I wouldn't know about that, mate.

I left school awful early, you see?

So I keep life simple, hm?

I buy gold for cheap, and then I sell it-- and I pay my V.A.T.

♪ ♪ Now, can I interest you in a little bit of sparkle for the missus?

Look at that.

♪ ♪ (chuckles softly) Thanks for your time.

(electronic bell rings) (door closes) ♪ ♪ (breathes deeply) (tires squealing) (horn honking) (gasps softly) (dogs barking in distance) (car moving off) ♪ ♪ I want out, John.

I think that's what's called a moot point, Garth.

You can call it what you want.

I'm done.

This thing, it's a poison that's passing through us.

We got to keep on going until it's gone.

And then we'll see what kind of life we got left.

(breath trembling): My nerves are shot to pieces.

Yeah, well, your nerves weren't great to start with, to be fair.

We've got to finish it.

When the gold's gone, when the money's gone, that's the finish line.

All we can do... (whispers): ...is run a little faster.

(door opens and closes) (counting softly) 190,000.

No, there's 200 grand there, sweetheart.

No, there's not.

Unless you've dropped one of these.

♪ ♪ (breathing heavily) (exhales heavily) (lock turns) (softly): Christ.

♪ ♪ (murmuring) Reported it to who?

The Old Bill.

You what?

I panicked a bit.

A bit?

I thought someone might hand it in.

It's posh down there-- that's what posh folk do.

They hand things in.

Christ.

(panting) I didn't want you to think I'd nicked it.

I wish you had nicked it!

I wish you'd nicked the bloody lot of it!

Well, they won't know it's yours!

Yes, but Jeannie, they're a lot closer to knowing that than they were this morning.

(softly): Sorry, Kenny.

Let's just leave it.

Leave...?

(phone ringing) (gulps) Well, that might not be our decision.

(sighs) Sierra Leone?

It's, it's smarter than it sounds.

See, Sierra Leone has a lot of gold and a government who'll sell it to anyone who'll pay for it.

So long as Palmer has that piece of paper saying that a licensed importer is buying it over there, then the chain holds up in court.

(breathes deeply) Now, we know the gold's not coming from that mine, right?

Which suggests to me there is no mine-- you've just got to prove it.

This job is using up every favor I've got.

(door opens) There was something else which I found interesting.

Palmer can't read.

Brightwell, you're going to Sierra Leone.

I've had a word with Five.

They're gonna find someone to keep an eye on you.

Five?

That's-- he means-- that's MI5, isn't it?

(laughing): Oh, Christ!

It's all gone a bit "Tinker Tailor," this.

I'll tell him I won't go without you.

Sit down.

Do you know how I got here, sir?

Hendon, Hackney, then blackmailed your super into promotion.

"Blackmail's" a little harsh.

You're not going.

You can't send my partner and not me.

It's too dangerous.

Well, if this job ain't dangerous, you're not doing it right.

You'd be flying into a country that's corrupt from head to toe.

It's a failing state and heading for civil war.

Is that a situation that would scare you, Jennings?

No, sir.

(breathes deeply) It would terrify me.

You can't send my partner and not me.

It's not right.

Don't drink the water.

JEANNIE: It's good they found it.

KENNETH: We don't know if they found it.

(sighs) All we know is that they want you in there.

(Jeannie sighs) Then let's leave it.

Walking about with ten grand is suspicious.

Not turning up for it is worse-- you're going in, Jeannie.

(siren blaring in distance) (sighs) What we don't know is if you're coming out.

Would you feed my cat?

No.

(door opens) (door closes) (clears throat): I'd like to clear the account, please.

That's 700,000.

Yeah.

50s, please.

One minute, sir.

♪ ♪ (door opens) (door closes) (sighs) SAM: I know, it's concerning.

I'm calling it in now.

I'm on hold with head office.

£10 million in cash in four months feels more than concerning.

What do I do?

Give him it slowly and be ready to stop him from leaving.

♪ ♪ (door closes) OFFICER: So what are you doing walking about with money like that, then?

Oof, well, you know what these builders are like, wanting readies.

Big blokes, too.

What's an old housewife to do?

Anyway... Thanks, love-- you done me a right turn.

Be careful.

Yeah, yeah.

♪ ♪ (murmuring) Oh, come on-- you've already counted it.

It's a lot of money.

Well, I trust you.

♪ ♪ (breathing softly) (exhales heavily) DANNY: Excuse me.

♪ ♪ (sighs): Well, that's it, love.

All done.

♪ ♪ Hello, Mrs.

Savage.

(sighs): Oh!

Hello, Danny.

(laughing): Dear, oh, dear.

Did you get the uniform for your birthday?

(chuckling): Well, I'm 18 now.

Oh, God, how old does that make me, then?

(sighs): How's your mum?

Yeah, she's all right.

Lovely, well, give her me best.

Will do.

(exhales, mutters): Jesus.

(phone ringing in distance) (exhaling) (tools clanging, vehicle approaching) (tools clanging) Eh?

They done come back.

No-- it different.

(engine stops, doors opening and closing) (panting) (whispers): Christ.

(aloud): It's like a bloody oven.

No.

I've had 18 hours of you asking if it'll be hot.

I'm not having the same again of you talking about how hot it was.

I don't take it well-- you know that.

I told you about Torremolinos and the walk-in fridge.

Yeah, you definitely told me about Torremolinos and the walk-in fridge.

That saved my life, that fridge.

(panting) CPM.

(tools clanking) Constantino Precious Metals.

Huh.

Well, they fooled this lot.

(tools clanking) There's no gold here, my love.

You can stop digging.

You know that.

Yes, but the others don't.

Did you come here just for gold?

(laughs) Yeah, we did.

(chuckles) (vehicle approaching in distance) MAN: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Hey!

Hey!

(shouts in Krio) Run.

TONY: Let's go!

Go!

(men shouting) Quick!

Quick, get in, Nic!

Get in!

(engines roaring) Get in.

Get in-- drive.

(panting) Drive the (muted) car!

♪ ♪ (men shouting) (Nicki panting, gasping) (guns firing) (shouts): Get down!

(guns firing, bullets hitting jeep) (both panting, bullets hitting jeep) (both panting) (gasping) (men shouting in distance) (both panting) I'm glad you came.

(chuckling) (both laughing) SIENNA: Have you got the money for more?

Of course.

My friend's selling apartments in France.

Côte d'Azur.

Course, I'd have to come with you.

I have to work.

You own half of London now, and you've got to work?

Might you be free this evening?

Yeah.

♪ ♪ (door opens) (door closes) Why haven't you packed?

Who's he?

MARNIE: Toby, the lad from the stables.

Do you trust him?

He picks up horse(muted), John.

Not sure how much trust that takes.

(scoffs) Yeah, well, be careful who you bring round here.

Why haven't you packed?

(sighs) Look, this thing I'm in... (lips smack) ...one way or another, it's going to end soon.

And, uh... I need to be here to make sure it ends right.

I have no choice.

Oh, this is a choice, John.

♪ ♪ We've identified the gold chain, now it's time to break it.

Christ, Boyce, what's going on with this budget?

We had some unexpected travel.

To where, the bloody moon?

(exhales): What do you need, Boyce?

Close surveillance in London, Kent, Bristol, and Somerset for 72 hours, which is the rest of my budget.

STEWART: Good God.

BOYCE: It's a gamble worth taking.

We'll need search warrants through Bow Street to keep them discreet.

I'll tell local forces what I need to tell them, apart from Kent, who will be unaware of our presence.

Why?

I've reason to believe that the suspect has more friends there than I do.

If we don't tell the local force, then you can't be armed.

Well, the suspect has no history of armed offenses, and the team don't want guns when they don't need them.

STEWART: Clock's ticking, Boyce.

Do they have it, Boyce, the gold?

Whatever's left.

Then go and get it.

Ma'am.

♪ ♪ (lock turns) (knocks softly) I thought you'd be around in the morning.

Got a bit of driving tomorrow.

Oh, yeah?

Where you off to?

How about coming off the fags for the winter, Dad?

You're driving an unmarked car.

What have they got you doing now, then?

Give your lungs a chance.

Who do you think I'm gonna tell?

The only reason no one comes to talk to you about me is 'cause they know you got nothing to tell 'em.

No, it's because I'm respected.

I ain't got much, but I got that.

(coughing) (hacking) Yeah, you got that.

(coughs violently) I'll come back at weekends.

We'll attend events together.

I'll find a... (sighs): ...a workable solution.

No.

If this is the road we are going down, then we will assume our natural positions.

I will take it all, and you will leave here with the clothes on your back.

(chuckles) (inhales deeply): Well, it's yours to take.

People made fun of me for being with you.

(chuckles) For being with someone so overtly on the climb, with two wives behind you, two stepping stones to get to me.

And they made fun of me, Edwyn, for letting you in.

"Easy to take in a stray," they said.

"Hard to get it to leave."

Not so hard.

(door closes) CARTER (voiceover): Well, if the money's been handed in, it would've been logged and stuck in a computer.

KENNETH: Right, and how do you get it out of the computer?

(scoffs): God knows.

There's only a few of us can use the bloody things.

So, if it's in there, along with every lost umbrella in London, I wouldn't worry about anybody finding it.

DAVE (chuckling): You've got yourself a good little dancer here, Kenny.

BRENDA: I'm knackered, Ken.

What?

No, no, no, no, no.

Come on, one more drink on me.

Oi, uh, waiter?

WAITER: Yes, sir?

DAVE: No-- no.

Another bottle, please, sir.

No, come on, Kenny, it's my turn.

No, no, no.

You take this as a grateful thank you from the public for keeping all them nasty villains off our streets, eh?

(snickers) (Roxy Music's "More Than This" playing in background) (clears throat) (man breathing softly) ♪ ♪ (keys jingling) (lock turns) ♪ ♪ (tires squeal) (gulls squawking) (engine idling) ♪ ♪ (mud squelching) ♪ ♪ (mud sloshing) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (car approaching) (dog barking) (Kenneth sniffs) (engine stops) (exhales) What is it?

You know I don't like Masons.

Come on.

What is it?

I don't like the way you are with 'em.

Sucking up.

They're no better than you-- in, in fact, you're richer than half of 'em put together.

I just don't like it.

(sighs) Protection, Brenda.

That's what they are.

And who do you need protection from?

From the people who don't like someone like me having what I have and the people who would try to take it back.

What we have, Ken, came through hard work-- honest work.

And they can't take this away from us.

Only you can do that!

(gently): Calm, calm down.

(dogs barking) (lock turning, house door opens) (door slams) (doorbell rings) (doorbell rings) (footsteps approaching) EDWYN: I'm sorry I'm late.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (glasses clink) We should go to France.

(whispers): Yeah.

And we shouldn't hurry back.

Will we be running away from something?

We're all running from something.

Hmm.

Feels like you've been running for a long time.

Then I must be good at it.

What's the secret?

Knowing when to go.

(fire crackling) (John inhales deeply) How's it over there?

(exhales) (Kenneth inhales deeply) It's quiet.

You?

JOHN (over phone): I watched this thing once on the television about how, sometimes, on a beach, it can go deathly quiet.

There's not a bird in the sky.

Not a bit of wind.

The sea goes all flat.

It's as silent as the world can be.

If all that happens, Kenny, if things go that quiet, it means there's about to be a tsunami.

Good luck, John.

JOHN: Good luck, Kenny.

(button beeps) (antenna retracts) (birds chirping softly) (birds chirping, door opens and closes) BOYCE: Today, we break the chain.

That's the easy part.

Gold-- that's what we need.

Noye and Reader, that's nothing.

But Noye, Reader, and gold, that's bulletproof.

We know Reader doesn't stay long.

We know he's quick, so, soon as they're both in there, we're in there, too.

I've got multiple operations to coordinate, but every decision is made in my name-- when to go in, what happens once you're there.

Trust your gut.

Do not worry about the consequences.

The consequences are mine.

Fordham.

There are some nerves flying around the team, John.

Rather nerves than overconfidence, sir.

It's different, isn't it?

From Ireland.

It's better, sir.

Living with the family, weekends off.

Something to be said for not checking under the car every morning.

(chuckles) That's true, John-- I don't miss that.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (jazz piano record playing) (knock at door, door opens) That's us off to Palmer's, sir.

People think jazz doesn't have rules.

I find that level of ignorance fairly infuriating.

Well, I can imagine, sir.

Jazz has patterns-- parameters.

And then within the parameters, there is improvisation.

(music continues) On a day like this, the parameters are set.

We want to catch them, they don't want to get caught.

And from there, it's all about improvisation.

It's about instinct and ability.

(music continues) You two possess all of that and more.

You are a fine pair of detectives, and I thought I should probably say that.

Once.

Thank you, sir.

BOYCE: Bring me back Palmer.

We will, sir.

(birds chirping) (breathing softly) BOYCE: Four teams-- Kent, Bristol, Somerset, and Hatton Garden.

Ready to go, sir?

Yeah.

If one team goes in, they all go in.

We can't let anyone slip through the net.

♪ ♪ (file grinding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (speaking indistinctly) WOMAN: Wonderful-- is that the receipt you've got in the box?

MAN: We've got, we've actually got the paperwork, we have the receipt, and the actual instructions.

WOMAN: Fantastic.

How long does it take for a child's toy to become collectible?

(TV audio fading) ♪ ♪ (birds chirping) (sighs) (Tony sighs) (softly): Don't look very busy, does it?

(softly): No-- there's too many buildings.

(breathing heavily): If we hit the wrong one first, he'll have time to react.

We need to catch him with the gold.

(sniffs) Come on, then.

(whispers): What are you doing?!

Improvising.

(sighs) (engine starts) (car moves off) MAX (on radio): Reader on the move.

♪ ♪ (inhales): You know, Harry, when I joined the Army, I used to envy the generals, with their digs, with their food, with how far back they got to stay from the danger.

But then I saw action.

And I learned more in one day at the front than in the 16 years before it.

And I didn't envy the generals anymore, because I knew I didn't belong with them.

I belonged at the front.

♪ ♪ (door opens) (sighs) (door closes) ♪ ♪ (gate unlocks) Suspect two approaching.

(on radio): Suspect two in the house.

One and two, forward.

♪ ♪ (grunts) (panting) (grunts) ("Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode playing on stereo) How's your wife doing, Brian?

READER (chuckling): Yeah, great.

Spending my money, you know?

BRENDA (laughs): Glad to hear it.

You ready for your dinner?

Always, Brenda.

It's "parimigana."

(laughing): "Zh," "zhana."

That's what I said.

Yeah, I'll take your word for it.

Ken had it in some fancy Italian uptown, and had me learn it.

♪ ♪ (dog growling) (growling, barks) (dogs barking) (whispering): Get back!

(barking, snarling) BRENDA: You see, that's what happens when you marry a bloke from Bexleyheath, Brian.

They get ideas above their station.

(laughs) (music continues) (dogs barking) (barking continues) ♪ ♪ (Fordham speaking on radio, static garbling) (static crackles) (Fordham continues, static garbling) ...dogs.

(man speaking on radio, static garbling) FORDHAM: Dogs hostile-- dogs hostile.

(engine revving) NEIL (on radio): Man near John.

(yelling): Man near John-- man near John!

(Tony breathing heavily) NEIL: Ambulance, urgent!

Ambulance, urgent!

Ambulance, ur... (radio cuts out) STAN (on radio): All support forward.

Secure the location.

Boyce to control.

HARRY (on radio): Go ahead, sir.

Send the other teams in.

HARRY: Copy that.

♪ ♪ OFFICER: Good evening, sir.

OFFICER: Stay still.

(Garth yelps) (handcuffs clicking) OFFICER: Police!

Step back!

Step back!

(others shouting) ♪ ♪ (rain pelting) OFFICER: Stand back!

(engine stops) (officers shouting indistinctly) (radios running and chirping) (man talking in background) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ JOHN: This is how to live your life.

I ain't planning on coming home.

BOYCE: Tell me where the gold is.

I ain't got no gold.

PARRY: There's a big difference between hiding and running away.

Do not run away, Mr.

Cooper.

♪ ♪ ♪ The beast in me ♪ ANNOUNCER: Visit our website for videos, newsletters, podcasts, and more.

And join us on social media.

The DVD version of this program is available online and in stores.

This program is also available with PBS Passport and on Amazon Prime Video.

♪ ...at the stars ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And God help ♪ ♪ The beast in me ♪