Local Priorities - Met Police Dismantles Major Phone Theft Gang

I wanted to provide an update regarding Mobile phone theft, which some members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey.

In a landmark operation, the Metropolitan Police has dismantled a major international smuggling gang responsible for trafficking up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China and Hong Kong—accounting for nearly 40% of all phones stolen in London over the past year.
The operation began after officers discovered a shipment of around 1,000 stolen iPhones at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. This led to a year-long investigation involving specialist detectives typically assigned to armed robbery and drug smuggling cases.
On 23 September, coordinated raids were carried out at 28 properties across London and Hertfordshire, including multiple locations in Finsbury Park, resulting in a number of arrests and the recovery of thousands of stolen devices. Two men were charged and remanded in custody, while a further 15 individuals were arrested for offences including theft, handling stolen goods, and conspiracy to steal.
The gang specifically targeted Apple products due to their high resale value overseas, with street-level thieves reportedly paid up to £300 per handset, and devices sold for as much as $5,000 in China. The operation also uncovered links to violent robberies, with victims reporting assaults and the loss of irreplaceable personal data.
Commander Andrew Featherstone described it as “the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK,” and Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called it the “biggest counter-phone theft operation in the world.”
This operation has already contributed to a 13% reduction in personal robbery and a 14% drop in theft across London this year. The Met continues to call on mobile phone manufacturers to improve device security and help prevent stolen phones from being reused or resold.

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