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Police have successfully dismantled an international gang suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China in the past year. The Metropolitan Police carried out the largest operation against phone thefts in the UK, resulting in the arrest of 18 suspects and the recovery of over 2,000 stolen devices. Authorities suspect that this gang may have been responsible for exporting half of all phones stolen in London, the city where most mobiles are taken in the UK.
The investigation was initiated after a victim managed to track a stolen phone last year. The incident occurred on Christmas Eve when the victim electronically traced their stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Subsequently, the stolen phone was discovered among 894 other phones in the warehouse, leading to the unraveling of the smuggling operation. Almost all the phones found were stolen and were being shipped to Hong Kong.
Following the discovery of the stolen phones and subsequent interceptions, two Afghan nationals in their 30s were charged with conspiring to receive stolen goods and conspiring to conceal or remove criminal property. An additional Indian national, aged 29, has also been charged with similar offenses. The investigation revealed that the gang was involved in an international smuggling operation, potentially responsible for exporting a significant portion of all phones stolen in London.
The surge in phone thefts in London has seen a significant increase in recent years, with the number of stolen phones nearly tripling from 28,609 in 2020 to 80,588 in 2024. The theft of phones is predominantly prevalent in tourist-heavy areas such as the West End and Westminster. The rising demand for second-hand phones, both domestically and internationally, is believed to be a major factor contributing to the rise in phone thefts. Criminals targeting Apple products specifically due to their high resale value overseas further exacerbates the issue
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