British police have pulled off what they’re calling the most sweeping crackdown on phone theft in UK history, dismantling a network accused of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from London to China over the past year. The operation, codenamed Echosteep, has revealed an international web of crime stretching from the capital’s bustling streets to warehouses near Heathrow, and ultimately, to buyers in Asia willing to pay thousands for a single, internet-enabled device.
According to the BBC, the Metropolitan Police’s investigation began almost by chance on Christmas Eve 2024. A theft victim, using Apple’s Find My iPhone app, traced his stolen phone to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Detective Inspector Mark Gavin recalled, “It was actually on Christmas Eve and a victim electronically tracked their stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport.” What they found inside stunned even seasoned officers: the phone was nestled in a box among nearly 900 others, almost all stolen and bound for Hong Kong.
This unexpected discovery served as 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,” Detective Inspector Gavin told the BBC. Further forensic analysis and surveillance led police to a dramatic roadside stop, caught on police body cameras, where two Afghan nationals in their 30s were arrested. Officers found their car stuffed with foil-wrapped devices—a trick used to block tracking signals. A third suspect, a 29-year-old Indian national, was also charged with receiving and concealing stolen goods.
But the operation didn’t stop there. In late September, police raided a phone shop on Islington’s Seven Sisters Road, uncovering £40,000 in cash and more stolen devices. Another suspect was nabbed at Heathrow carrying ten stolen phones, with records showing he’d traveled between London and Algeria more than 200 times in just two years, reported BBC News. These raids were part of a wider sweep: just last week, police made 15 more arrests—mostly women, including a Bulgarian national—and seized an additional 30 stolen devices during early morning operations.
In total, Operation Echosteep has led to 46 arrests, the Metropolitan Police confirmed, and resulted in the seizure of over 2,000 stolen phones. Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met’s lead officer on the case, said, “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.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the police effort as “the largest of its kind in UK history,” adding that it was “humbling to see the Met go after not just street thieves but the global ringleaders behind them.”
The scale of the problem is staggering. Phone theft in London has nearly tripled in the last four years, rising from 28,609 cases in 2020 to more than 80,000 in 2024, according to national statistics cited by the BBC. London now accounts for three-quarters of all phone thefts in the UK, with tourist magnets like Westminster and the West End topping the list of hotspots. Nationwide, “theft from the person” increased by 15% in the year ending March 2025, marking the highest level in more than two decades.
What’s fueling this surge? Police and government officials point to a booming market for second-hand phones, both in the UK and abroad. Policing Minister Sarah Jones told BBC News, “We’re hearing that some criminals are stopping dealing drugs and moving on to the phone business because it’s more lucrative. 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.” She noted that street thieves are paid up to £300 per phone, while in China, the same devices—especially Apple products—can fetch up to £4,000, or even $5,000, due to high demand for internet-enabled devices that can bypass local censorship.
Senior officers explained that Apple products were specifically targeted by the gang because of their profitability overseas. Devices are often wiped or repurposed before being resold in China, where buyers are willing to pay a premium for phones that offer uncensored access to the internet. The BBC reported that the criminal network exported nearly half of all phones stolen in London, with shipments regularly intercepted en route to Hong Kong.
Despite these successes, many victims remain frustrated by what they see as slow police response—even when real-time tracking data is provided. Natalie Mitchel, a 29-year-old whose phone was snatched on Oxford Street, told the BBC, “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. 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.” She added, “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.”
The Metropolitan Police, for their part, have responded by boosting their presence in high-theft areas and using social media to publicize their efforts. They report that personal robbery is down 13% and theft is down 14% in London so far this year. Up to 80 additional officers are joining the West End team to focus on crimes such as phone robbery. However, these gains come at a cost: the force faces a £260 million budget shortfall over the next year and will have to cut nearly 2,000 officers and several services.
As the dust settles on Operation Echosteep, questions linger about how to address the root causes of phone theft and keep up with ever-evolving criminal tactics. For now, though, police hope their largest-ever crackdown sends a clear message: the days of easy pickings for phone thieves—at least in London—may be numbered.
