Phone Protection Story

  • Major police raids have successfully targeted and dismantled gangs responsible for phone snatching, particularly in London, as part of large-scale, ongoing operations.
  • The police have uncovered international smuggling networks exporting stolen devices overseas on an industrial scale. Large-scale international smuggling ring.
  • In October 2025, the Metropolitan Police announced the dismantling of an international smuggling gang in what they called the UK’s largest-ever operation against phone theft. 
  • The operation: Known as Operation Echosteep, the year-long investigation led to 46 arrests across London. The raids targeted properties and a warehouse near Heathrow Airport.
  • The smuggling network: The criminal enterprise was suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones to China in the previous year alone, potentially accounting for up to 40% of all phone thefts in London.
  • The trigger: The investigation began on Christmas Eve when a victim tracked their stolen iPhone to a warehouse. Officers found the phone in a box with almost 900 other stolen devices, revealing the scope of the operation.
  • The motive: The gangs primarily targeted high-value Apple products for the lucrative overseas market, where they could sell for thousands of pounds. 
  • City of London Police raids In late September 2025, the City of London Police conducted its own major raids as part of “Op Swipe”. 
  • The result: Eight men were arrested for their involvement in phone theft. Over 250 phones, 40 SIM cards, and a lock knife were seized from one residential property.
  • The impact: The raids were intended to disrupt organised crime groups and prevent stolen phones from being exported Ongoing crackdown
  • Police efforts to combat phone snatching are continuing, with targeted enforcement at multiple levels of the criminal network. 
  • February 2025: The Met Police arrested 230 people in a single week and seized over 1,000 phones in a clampdown on the “industrial-scale” crime of phone snatching Plain-clothed officers were deployed to hotspot areas like the West End and Westminster.
  • Industry pressure: Law enforcement and politicians, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, are pressuring tech companies like Apple and Samsung to do more to prevent stolen phones from being reused. Criminals can currently make millions by reselling repurposed devices abroad.
  • Tackling violent robberies: In June 2025, a separate Met investigation saw 10 people charged in connection with armed, masked robberies of mobile phone stores. 

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