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| Gangs in pit bull smuggling ring | Gangs in pit bull smuggling ring |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A BBC investigation has uncovered a network of criminal gangs who supply illegal pit bull terriers for fighting. | A BBC investigation has uncovered a network of criminal gangs who supply illegal pit bull terriers for fighting. |
| An undercover Panorama team found the dogs - which are banned in the UK - were brought into the country using false documents. | An undercover Panorama team found the dogs - which are banned in the UK - were brought into the country using false documents. |
| The dogs are smuggled across Europe for organised fighting and Northern Ireland is the epicentre of the network. | The dogs are smuggled across Europe for organised fighting and Northern Ireland is the epicentre of the network. |
| Pit bulls have been banned in the UK since 1991 and dog fighting has been illegal since the 19th Century. | Pit bulls have been banned in the UK since 1991 and dog fighting has been illegal since the 19th Century. |
| The gangs breed, train and fight the unregistered pit bulls - the type of dog which killed five-year old Ellie Lawrenson in Liverpool in December - and Panorama spent 17 months infiltrating the illegal world of dog fighting. | The gangs breed, train and fight the unregistered pit bulls - the type of dog which killed five-year old Ellie Lawrenson in Liverpool in December - and Panorama spent 17 months infiltrating the illegal world of dog fighting. |
| 'Utmost respect' | 'Utmost respect' |
| The undercover team managed to gain access to one of the biggest gangs - the Northern Ireland-based Farmers Boys. | The undercover team managed to gain access to one of the biggest gangs - the Northern Ireland-based Farmers Boys. |
| Stephen Philpott, from the Ulster Society for the Protection of Animals (USPCA), told the Panorama team the Farmers Boys were talked about with the "utmost respect". | Stephen Philpott, from the Ulster Society for the Protection of Animals (USPCA), told the Panorama team the Farmers Boys were talked about with the "utmost respect". |
| "The Farmers Boys are absolutely huge, they are massive, they are the Manchester United of the dog fighting world," he said. | "The Farmers Boys are absolutely huge, they are massive, they are the Manchester United of the dog fighting world," he said. |
| "Over the last 25 years they have established trading partners in inner city Britain and they are now selling their dogs to those people in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, London." | "Over the last 25 years they have established trading partners in inner city Britain and they are now selling their dogs to those people in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, London." |
| Ellie Lawrenson was killed by a pit bull terrier last year | Ellie Lawrenson was killed by a pit bull terrier last year |
| BBC reporter Mandy McAuley, who was part of the undercover team, said the gangs took advantage of the fact Northern Ireland has a "soft" border with the Republic of Ireland, where it is not illegal to own a pit bull. | |
| "They can bring in dogs from other countries to Dublin, by plane, then drive them up into Northern Ireland," she said. | "They can bring in dogs from other countries to Dublin, by plane, then drive them up into Northern Ireland," she said. |
| "Then they can either keep the dogs for their own breeding or fights, or they put them on a ferry over to Britain. We did this ourselves and saw how easy it was." | "Then they can either keep the dogs for their own breeding or fights, or they put them on a ferry over to Britain. We did this ourselves and saw how easy it was." |
| 'Electrocuted' | 'Electrocuted' |
| The team went to Finland and bought a pit bull from a breeder, who provided fake documents identifying the dog as a boxer-Labrador cross. | The team went to Finland and bought a pit bull from a breeder, who provided fake documents identifying the dog as a boxer-Labrador cross. |
| They also witnessed a fight in Finland which ended in the death of one of the dogs, and where a badly injured dog was wired to the mains and electrocuted. | |
| In addition to the pit bull trade being about money, with big bets laid on fights, Ms McAuley also said some people were involved for the love of the "sport". | |
| She said gangsters, as well as those involved in dog fighting, were buying the animals, which have become a status symbol in the UK's inner cities. | She said gangsters, as well as those involved in dog fighting, were buying the animals, which have become a status symbol in the UK's inner cities. |
| "Even before Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by her uncle's pit bull on New Year's Eve, people in Liverpool knew what the dogs could do," she said. | "Even before Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by her uncle's pit bull on New Year's Eve, people in Liverpool knew what the dogs could do," she said. |
| Panorama will be broadcast on BBC One on Thursday 30 August at 2100 BST. | Panorama will be broadcast on BBC One on Thursday 30 August at 2100 BST. |