The City Police have successfully dismantled a major international phone theft and smuggling network, in what is being described as the largest crackdown on mobile phone crime in the UK. The gang is believed to have shipped around 40,000 stolen phones from London to China over the past year, representing nearly 40% of all phones stolen in the capital.

The investigation, named Operation Echosteep, began in December 2024 when a shipment of 1,000 stolen iPhones bound for Hong Kong was intercepted near Heathrow Airport. Subsequent raids uncovered even more stolen devices, including iPads, laptops, and Rolex watches, exposing a sophisticated international smuggling operation.

 

 

Over a two-week operation, officers arrested 46 individuals, seized thousands of stolen devices, and recovered approximately £40,000 in cash. Police also targeted gangs involved in delivery van robberies, particularly those targeting the latest iPhone 17, highlighting the scale and coordination of criminal activity in London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the Met Police for their relentless efforts against street crime and international smuggling but called on the mobile phone industry to take action, urging companies to make stolen devices unusable to prevent criminals from profiting from this lucrative trade.

 

 

Det Insp Mark Gavin revealed that the gang specifically targeted Apple products due to their high resale value. Street thieves were paid up to £300 per handset, with stolen devices sold overseas for as much as $5,000 in China.

This high-profile operation not only recovered a vast number of stolen devices but also sent a strong warning to criminal gangs operating in the UK. By combining international investigation with local policing, the Met is leading the fight against mobile phone theft, making London streets safer and disrupting a multi-million-pound illegal trade.

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As a result of this operation, robberies in London have dropped by 13% and thefts by 14% this year, marking the largest-ever crackdown on phone theft in the UK by the Met Police.