One Person Tracking Their Stolen iPhone Led to Breakup of Massive UK Phone Theft Ring

In the UK’s largest ever police operation targeting phone thefts, 18 suspects have been arrested and over 2,000 stolen mobile devices recovered, with police believing the gang could be responsible for exporting up to half of all phones stolen in London. The massive bust was made possible by one iPhone owner stubbornly tracking their device with the “Find My iPhone” app.

BBC News reports that the London Metropolitan Police has announced the successful dismantling of an international criminal gang suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China in the past year. The operation, believed to be the UK’s largest ever crackdown on phone thefts, resulted in the arrest of 18 suspects and the recovery of more than 2,000 stolen devices.

According to Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, the investigation was triggered on Christmas Eve last year when a victim electronically tracked their stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Security personnel at the warehouse discovered the phone in a box along with 894 other stolen phones, which were being shipped to Hong Kong. Further shipments were subsequently intercepted, and forensic analysis of the packages led police to identify two suspects.

Police bodycam footage captured the dramatic mid-road interception of a car carrying the two Afghan nationals in their 30s, who were found with devices wrapped in foil, likely an attempt to transport them undetected. The men were charged with conspiring to receive stolen goods and conspiring to conceal or remove criminal property. A third man, a 29-year-old Indian national, has since been charged with the same offences.

Last week, officers made an additional 15 arrests on suspicion of theft, handling stolen goods, and conspiracy to steal. The majority of the suspects are women, including a Bulgarian national. Some 30 devices were found during the early morning raids.

The number of phones stolen in London has almost tripled in the last four years, from 28,609 in 2020 to 80,588 in 2024. Policing Minister Sarah Jones attributes the rise in thefts to a growing demand for second-hand phones, both in the UK and abroad. “We’re hearing that some criminals are stopping dealing drugs and moving on to the phone business because it’s more lucrative,” she said.

The criminal gang targeted Apple products specifically due to their profitability overseas. The Met Police investigation discovered that street thieves were being paid up to £300 per handset, and stolen devices are being sold in China for up to £4,000 each, as they are internet-enabled and more attractive for Chinese citizens trying to bypass censorship.