40,000 Phones Stolen in Major Police Gang Bust
▼ Summary
– An international gang smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past year has been dismantled by London police.
– The criminal network was responsible for up to 40% of all phones stolen in London during this period, making it the largest phone theft operation ever tackled there.
– The investigation began after a victim traced their stolen iPhone to a Heathrow warehouse containing around a thousand iPhones destined for Hong Kong.
– Police reported significant arrests and device recoveries, with London phone theft dropping 14% this year following the crackdown.
– The gang targeted Apple products for their high profitability, paying thieves up to £300 per device and reselling them for up to $5,000 in China.
A major international criminal network, believed responsible for smuggling an estimated 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the United Kingdom to China, has been successfully dismantled by London police. Authorities from the Metropolitan Police Service described this as their most significant operation ever launched against phone theft in the capital. They allege this single group accounted for a staggering forty percent of all phones stolen across London over the past twelve months.
The investigation began after a victim used tracking technology to locate their stolen iPhone. This led police to a warehouse situated close to Heathrow Airport. Inside, officers discovered a box containing approximately one thousand iPhones that were prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. This crucial interception resulted in what police term “significant arrests” and the recovery of a large quantity of stolen devices. Officials have noted that since the operation, phone theft incidents in London have seen a notable decrease of fourteen percent this year.
Detective Inspector Mark Gavin provided insight into the gang’s methods in an official statement. He explained that the criminal organization specifically focused on stealing Apple products due to their high resale value in foreign markets. Investigators found evidence that street-level thieves were receiving payments of up to £300 for each device they supplied. Once the phones reached China, they were reportedly being sold for prices as high as $5,000, illustrating the immense profitability that drove the entire illegal enterprise.
(Source: The Verge)