Biggest phone theft crackdown in UK history nets 46 arrests and 40,000 stolen devices

07 October 2025 , 18:46

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Biggest phone theft crackdown in UK history nets 46 arrests and 40,000 stolen devices

London police said they have dismantled a criminal gang suspected of smuggling 40,000 stolen mobile phones to China in their largest operation against phone theft to date, resulting in 46 arrests over the last two weeks.

The gang could be behind about 40 percent of all phone thefts in London, police said. Like other global cities, London has seen a surge in the number of devices stolen in recent years, driven by a lucrative international market and facilitated by fast getaways on e-bikes.

Police stated on Tuesday that the investigation began last year when a box containing around a thousand iPhones was discovered at a warehouse near London’s Heathrow Airport as it was being shipped to Hong Kong.

Apple phones targeted for resale value

The group specifically targeted Apple products due to their profitability overseas, police said, finding they were paid up to 300 pounds ($403.02) per Apple phone, which could be sold for up to $5,000 in China.

"This is the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK," police commander Andrew Featherstone said.

"We’ve dismantled criminal networks at every level, from street-level thieves to international organized crime groups exporting tens of thousands of stolen devices each year."

Of the dozens of arrests, eleven were made when officers targeted gangs robbing courier vans delivering the new iPhone 17, while two men in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of money laundering after 40,000 pounds in cash was found at a phone shop in north London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said phone theft was happening on an "industrial scale" and urged phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung to adopt more measures to block the use of stolen phones.

"Criminals are making millions by repurposing stolen phones and selling them abroad, with many still able to access cloud services. It’s simply too easy and too profitable," he said. 

David Wilson

Politics Editor