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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. Officers and staff from across the Met have dismantled a suspected international smuggling gang and seized thousands of stolen devices in its largest ever operation to tackle phone theft in London.
After an investigation lasting nearly a year, detectives disrupted a major criminal network suspected to have smuggled up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months – almost 40 per cent of all phones stolen in London.
Operation Echosteep was launched last December when a box containing around a thousand stolen iPhones was discovered being shipped to Hong Kong. The investigation brought together expertise from across the Met including Specialist Crime, Forensic Services, Met Intelligence and local policing.
Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met’s lead for tackling phone theft, said:
We've dismantled criminal networks at every level, from street-level thieves to international organised crime groups exporting tens of thousands of stolen devices each year. Londoners deserve to feel safe, and this is a clear sign of your commitment to protecting them and driving down crime.”
Operation Echosteep was part of Reckoning 3 – a two-week intensification to tackle phone theft across London. In total, this resulted in 46 arrests and more than 2,000 stolen devices being seized. Examples of the types of arrests and successful operations include:
Eleven arrests were made during an operation that targeted criminal gangs robbing courier vans delivering the new iPhone 17. Flying Squad and Taskforce officers used intelligence-led policing and advanced tracking technology to disrupt offences.
On Thursday 25 September, two men in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and handling stolen goods after Central North BCU officers recovered approximately £40,000 in cash at a phone shop in Seven Sisters Road, Islington. Officers also seized a number of stolen devices during the search A man was charged with handling stolen goods after he was stopped with 10 suspected stolen phones at Heathrow Airport on Saturday, 20 September. Officers also discovered two iPads, two laptops and two Rolex watches. Further enquiries revealed the same man had travelled between London and Algeria more than 200 times in two years. The investigation is led by Central West BCU. , which was conducted to tackle those handling stolen goods. The men have since been bailed pending further investigation.
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