The Metropolitan Police has arrested 230 people and seized more than 1,000 stolen mobile phones in a week-long operation targeting London’s £50 million-a-year phone theft trade.
The force carried out a co-ordinated campaign aimed at disrupting the stealing, handling, and selling of stolen devices. The crackdown included increased patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, particularly in Westminster and the West End, where nearly 40% of phone thefts occur.
Major Arrests and Seizures
During the operation:
- 17 people were arrested in Westminster for robbery and theft following 42 stop-and-searches.
- 15 arrests were made in Hackney and Haringey, including a 15-year-old boy riding an illegal electric bike who was found carrying £1,000 in cash and a large knife.
- Police also used phone-tracking data and intelligence to track down those handling stolen phones.
In one notable case last year, four members of a gang were jailed for a combined 18 years after being caught handling over 5,000 stolen phones. The Met tracked them down after multiple victims reported their stolen phones at the same location.
Commander: ‘Phone Theft on Industrial Scale’
Commander Owain Richards, who is leading the Met’s crackdown on phone crime, said:
“We are seeing phone thefts on an industrial scale, fuelled by criminals making millions by being able to easily sell on stolen devices either here or abroad.
By intensifying our efforts, we’re catching more perpetrators and protecting people from having their phones stolen in the capital.
But we need help from partners and industry to do more.
That is why we’re working with other agencies and the government to tackle the organised criminality driving this trade and calling on tech companies to make stolen phones unusable.”
Call for Industry Action
Later today (February 6), Home Secretary James Cleverly will chair a national summit with law enforcement agencies and industry leaders to address the growing issue of smartphone theft.
Met Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens is expected to push for tougher security measures on smartphones, including:
- Preventing stolen devices from reconnecting to cloud services.
- Making IMEI numbers easily accessible from the lock screen of all smartphones.
City Hall Supports the Crackdown
Kaya Comer-Schwartz, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, praised the Met’s operation:
“The Met is spearheading targeted police work to prevent and tackle mobile phone theft in our communities.
Thanks to officers’ hard work and intervention by London’s Violence Reduction Unit, personal robbery is down 13% in the capital compared to last year.
But there is more to do. As the global demand for high-value mobile phones grows, the Mayor and I are clear that tech companies must act faster to make it harder for stolen phones to be sold on, repurposed, and reused illegally.
We’ll continue working with phone companies, the Home Secretary, and Met leaders to find innovative solutions to end mobile phone crime.”
What to Do If Your Phone Is Stolen
The Met Police is urging victims of phone theft to register their stolen device via the national mobile phone register so it can be recovered through the Police National Mobile database.
For more information on protecting your phone and reporting a theft, visit the Metropolitan Police website.
