In the UK’s largest-ever crackdown on mobile phone theft, the Metropolitan Police have dismantled an international smuggling network believed to be behind the export of up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China in the past year.
The operation led to 18 arrests and the recovery of over 2,000 devices, with police suspecting the gang may be responsible for nearly half of all mobile thefts in London. The investigation began after a stolen iPhone was traced to a warehouse near Heathrow on Christmas Eve 2024, leading to the discovery of 895 other stolen phones destined for Hong Kong.
Two Afghan nationals in their 30s and a 29-year-old Indian national have been charged with conspiring to receive stolen goods and conceal criminal property. Additional raids across London and Hertfordshire resulted in 15 more arrests, mostly women, and the recovery of 30 further devices.
With mobile phone theft in London nearly tripling since 2020, authorities say the lucrative trade—fueled by demand in China where iPhones can fetch up to £4,000—is attracting criminals away from drug dealing.
Senior officers say Apple devices were specifically targeted, and the Met warns that tech-savvy gangs are evolving rapidly.
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