The Collectors is a British television drama about Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in the fictional Dorset town of Wrelling. Produced by the BBC, one series of 10 episodes was first shown in 1986. Location scenes were filmed around the English resorts of Poole and Weymouth, in particular featuring the old Poole Customs House on the harbour.
Surveyor Harry Caines arrives to find an emergency call when an incoming Jumbo jet is diverted to Gatwick. When Caines fails to spot a distinctive tattoo on smuggler John Arthur Benson, he slips out of customs. The race on to bring him in.
Stuck behind a desk, Calvin Sampson learns that Frenchman Charles Thieron may be importing gold without paying VAT. Tom Gibbons spots a Krugerrand given to his wife Sue at the casino by Thieron. Bruce Tomlin starts VAT fraud investigation.
The Road Fuel Testing Unit have been tipped off about Jeffrey Marriott-Smith fiddling Red Diesel. Aly Bentley is assigned to the CRU. Marriott-Smith has a secret escape route and Aly tries to help farmer Eric Hall when his car is impounded
Bruce Tomlin is sent to Welling to investigate an Ice Cream War. Harry Caines suspects Carr and Zanoni may be cheating the customer. Tomlin discovers Tommy Carr is working a large VAT fraud, of £50,000 a year. Caines pressures the drivers.
Calvin Simpson reports a large number of pensioners, day tripping across the channel, and bringing back goods without paying tax. Caines shadows Major Barclay who organises pensioners to bring the goods back, from the channel, to order.
Charles Thieron hires a bomb maker to and set off an explosion in London. Chris Lucas, who is undercover trailing him, witnessed the bombing. He later dies after a lorry forces his car off the road. Caines has to break the news to Alyson
George Haycock and his daughter Beattie, return from France, with their dog. The dog turns nasty and runs away. George suspects rabies but decides to say nothing. However Calvin gets a report about the dog's entry and an alert is called.
Charles Thieron snatches a White Snowbird falcon and sells it for £80.000. Calvin spots the bird in transit and Customs confiscates Thieron's birds. Thieron steals the falcon back. Sue Gibbons is spotted and now considered a suspect.
Customs are tipped off about a boat smuggling cannabis. When a second boat acts as decoy they need a plan. Tom warns his ex-wife that her dealings with Thieron are under investigation. Calvin's girlfriend Anna is Thieron's drug courier.
With wife, Sue under investigation, Tom resigns. Sue finds she is longer any use to Thieron. Calvin learns Annie Solstrom is smuggling cannabis on her boat. Drug Squad catch the small fry but Thieron has escaped justice and heading home.
