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Jason
King pits his writer's imagination against computerised
crime - and becomes a Bulgarian master-crook!
Extraordinarily
clever big-scale robberies in London are being carried
out with such skill that Jason King (PETER WYNGARDE)
is lured back to London from Switzerland by a ruse on
the part of Whitehall's Sir Brian (DENNIS PRICE).
The
crimes are being organised with split-second precision
and without fear of detection because police in the
area are being diverted in other directions.
There
is only one way it could be done. The thieves are using
Scotland Yard's Crime Computer. But who is tapping the
computer, and how?
Jason
studies the Operations Room complex and meets the attractive
but serious-minded Chief Programmer. Julia Marsh (JOANNA
JONES), who introduces him to one of her Controllers,
Superintendent Landon (PHILIP STONE). Julia herself
demonstrates how all information is automatically tabulated
and fed into various master channels. She is astonished
at Jason's knowledge of the technicalities. As he points
out, it would be impossible to intercept data before
it gets into the computer, which means that someone
is tapping a top secret link to some other unit - a
monitoring unit for Government use.
Jason
insists on information being fed into this link - false
data that a Bulgarian named Miklos, head of a major
Continental crime syndicate, will be arriving at London
Airport. The ruse works. Jason, alias Miklos, is approached
in his hotel by a smartly sophisticated young woman
named Jan Ross (JAN WATERS) who explains that
her friends are curious about him. What is a big Continental
operator doing in London?
Jason
is invited to a party in her apartment. All the other
guests are top crooks, and the man in charge appears
to be Kenworthy (DONALD HOUSTON) who explains
that this is a Crime-Con meeting. Crime-Con organises
all the best crimes in London, and it is suggested to
"Miklos" that he might be interested in linking up with
Crime-Con in setting up a similar organisation in Rome.
Crime-Con
works in an unusual way. It plans and carries out the
robberies, which are auctioned with top crime bosses
putting in bids for them. Crime-Con thus knows exactly
how much will be received for each crime, and the successful
bidders gamble on how much they will receive from the
proceeds. Jason puts in a bid of £150,000 for
one of the future robberies (which later shocks Sir
Brian when he is asked to put up the money!) and is
invited to learn more about the organisation by being
present at the next robbery.
Seeking
Julia Marsh's co-operation, Jason persuades her to switch
off the computer at the very moment the robbery is due
to take place. There is, therefore, consternation when
the equipment goes dead and the Crime-Con is in chaos.
Not,
Jason points out, a very convincing demonstration. Is
this the sort of thing he is going to pay £150,000
for and which he is expected to promote in Rome? Kenworthy,
in desperation, agrees to take him to the Operations
Room, but insists on his being blindfolded.
Jason
thus meets the head of the organistion - Scotland Yard's
Superintendent Landon ...... but Landon sees through
his disguise. Jason
manages to escape, and now the whole of Landon's skilful
organisation is put on to finding him. Jason finds himself
the prey in London's strangest-ever man-hunt......
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