One iPhone Cracks International Theft Ring — Police Say 40,000 Stolen Phones May Have Been Sent to China

It began with a single, common device: an iPhone. But when authorities started tracking its journey, they uncovered a criminal operation of staggering global scale. That one handset became the thread that unravelled an entire international theft ring, one far larger than anyone suspected.

Authorities have announced that they have disrupted an international operation suspected of illicitly moving as many as 40,000 stolen handsets from the UK to China over the past year.

As part of what the Metropolitan Police are calling the UK's largest ever operation targeting mobile phone theft, authorities have apprehended 18 suspects and recovered over 2,000 stolen devices.

Investigators estimate that the criminal group may have been responsible for shipping out as much as half of all phones stolen in London. This city sees the vast majority of mobile thefts in the UK.

BBC News was granted exclusive access to the investigation, including information on the suspects, their operational tactics, and footage of early morning raids carried out across 28 addresses in London and Hertfordshire.

The One iPhone That Broke a Global Ring

The entire investigation began last year when a victim successfully traced a phone that had been taken.

'It was actually on Christmas Eve and a victim electronically tracked their stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport', Detective Inspector Mark Gavin said. 'The security there was eager to help out, and they found the phone was in a box, among another 894 phones.'

Investigators found that almost all the handsets had been taken, and these particular devices were bound for Hong Kong. Subsequent consignments were then seized, and the police employed forensic methods on the packaging to identify two men.

As the inquiry zeroed in on the two individuals, police body camera footage showed officers — some with Tasers ready — executing a dramatic street-level stop of a vehicle. Inside the car, investigators discovered devices enveloped in foil, a tactic used by the criminals to move stolen property without detection.

The two individuals, both Afghan nationals in their thirties, now face charges of conspiring to handle stolen property and conspiring to hide or unlawfully move items obtained through criminal activity.

A City Under Siege: London's Exploding Theft Crisis

At the time of the stop, officers recovered dozens of mobile phones inside the vehicle, with approximately 2,000 additional devices being uncovered at addresses associated with the pair. Since then, a third man — a 29-year-old Indian national — has also been charged with the same crimes.

Detective Inspector Gavin noted that 'finding the original shipment of phones was the starting point for an investigation that uncovered an international smuggling gang, which we believe could be responsible for exporting up to 40% of all the phones stolen in London.'

Last week, police detained additional 15 people in connection with suspected theft, dealing in stolen property, and plotting to steal. All but one of the detainees are women, including a Bulgarian national. Officers recovered about 30 mobile devices during the early-hour raids.

The number of mobile phones stolen in London has nearly tripled over the past four years, rising from 28,609 devices in 2020 to a total of 80,588 in 2024. Currently, three-quarters of all handsets stolen across the entire UK are taken within the city.

With over 20 million people visiting the capital annually, tourist destinations like the West End and Westminster are highly targeted locations for phone snatching and theft.

The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that 'theft from the person' rose by 15% across England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, reaching its highest level since 2003.

The New Criminal Gold Rush: Why Phones Head East

It is believed that the increasing demand for pre-owned handsets, both domestically in the UK and internationally, is a primary factor driving the rise in thefts, and many people who are targeted never recover their property.

'We're hearing that some criminals are stopping dealing drugs and moving on to the phone business because it's more lucrative', Policing Minister Sarah Jones said. 'If you steal a phone and it's worth hundreds of pounds, you can understand why criminals who are one step ahead and want to exploit new crimes are turning to that world.'

Senior police officials explained that the criminal group deliberately targeted Apple products because of their high profitability abroad.

The Metropolitan Police investigation found that street thieves were receiving as much as £300 for each device, with the stolen handsets then being sold in China for up to £4,000. These devices are highly sought there because they are internet-enabled and allow users to bypass local censorship.

Commander Andrew Featherstone, who leads the Met's efforts against phone theft, stated: 'This is the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK in the most extraordinary set of operations the Met has ever undertaken.'

'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.'

Victims Criticise Police Inaction

Numerous victims of phone theft have openly criticised police forces — including the Met — for insufficient action. A common complaint is that officers fail to help when people report the precise, live location of their stolen phone to the police using services such as Apple's Find My iPhone or other similar tracking apps.

Last year, 29-year-old Natalie Mitchel had her phone taken while on Oxford Street in central London. She informed the BBC that she now feels anxious and watchful whenever she visits the capital.

'It's really unnerving being here and obviously I'm not sure who is around me. I'm worried about my bag, I'm worried about my phone', she said.

'I think the Met Police should be doing a lot more - possibly setting up some more CCTV surveillance or seeing if there's any way they've got some undercover police officers just to tackle this problem.'

'I think because of the number of cases and the number of people getting in touch with them, they don't have the resources and capacity to deal with all these cases.'

Critique and Capacity: The Police Response Under Pressure

The Metropolitan Police, which has recently used platforms like TikTok and other social media to share videos of its officers tackling phone snatchers, argues it is seeing success. The force reports that in London, personal robbery has fallen by 13% and theft is down 14% this year to date.

To reinforce these efforts, the Met also announced that as many as 80 new officers will be joining the West End team, with a focus on crimes such as phone robbery. To address a £260 million shortfall in its budget over the coming year, the force will be prompted to shed nearly 2,000 officers and simultaneously reduce several services.