Groomed. Gaslighted. Ghosted.

They thought they’d found their soulmate. They had no idea he was spying on them.

These five motivated, independent women each thought they’d met their perfect partner – someone who shared their values, ambitions and goals.

But after a while, in some cases years later, the men started to behave strangely. They disappeared for weeks at a time, saying they needed to go away to clear their heads. Small details about their lives didn’t quite fit. Then they vanished, leaving a note saying that the relationship was over.

These men were undercover police officers, who had targeted the women for their links to activist groups. They took the identities of dead children and carried fake passports and driving licences. They were all married, some with children. They had been working from a set of guidelines and were all using the same manipulative techniques.

This is the story of five women whose lives were stolen by state-sponsored spies, and who, one by one, uncovered the shocking truth.