Police have disrupted an international network believed to be smuggling tens of thousands of stolen phones from the UK, marking their most significant effort against phone theft in London, according to law enforcement officials.

The criminal organization is thought to have smuggled as many as 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China in the past year, claiming that up to 40% of all mobile phones stolen in the capital were involved.

The police initiated Operation Echosteep in December 2024 after intercepting a shipment containing about 1,000 iPhones destined for Hong Kong at a warehouse located near Heathrow Airport.

According to police, nearly all the recovered phones had been reported stolen.

Authorities intercepted additional shipments and utilized forensic evidence from the packages to identify suspects.

After apprehending a man with 10 stolen mobile phones at Heathrow on September 20, he was charged with possession of stolen goods, the police unit reported.

During the investigation, officers also found two iPads, two laptops, and two Rolex watches.

Further investigation indicated that the same individual had made over 200 trips between London and Algeria in the past two years, according to police.

Three days later, two other men in their 30s were arrested in northeast London on suspicion of possessing stolen property.

Numerous mobile phones were discovered in vehicles, with approximately 2,000 additional devices located at properties linked to the suspects.

These individuals were subsequently charged and detained, police confirmed.

Additionally, two more men in their 30s were arrested on September 25 on allegations of money laundering and handling stolen goods.

Officers also seized several stolen devices during their search operations.

Police mentioned that one man had indicated that further investigations were ongoing.

In total, officers have arrested 46 individuals over two weeks, including 11 arrests related to a criminal gang involved in the theft of new iPhone 17 delivery vans.

An additional 15 arrests were made last week on suspicions of theft, handling stolen goods, and conspiracy to commit theft, according to the Metropolitan Police.

More than 30 suspicious devices were also uncovered while searching 28 locations in London and Hertfordshire.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed gratitude to the police for “addressing concerns in London,” noting a 13% and 14% decrease in crime rates this year.

“This operation is undeniably the largest of its kind in British history, and it was humbling to witness the Met’s efforts in targeting leaders of international smuggling operations as well as street-level robbers,” Khan commented.

However, he urged the mobile phone industry to collaborate with law enforcement to make it challenging for smugglers to utilize stolen devices.

“Criminals are profiting millions by reusing stolen mobile phones and selling them abroad, granting others access to cloud services,” he remarked. “The current situation is simply too simple and too lucrative.

“We will persist in urging the mobile phone industry to take rapid action to prevent this crime by making it impossible to use stolen devices.”

“To effectively combat this issue and create a safer London for all, we require coordinated global action.”

“We are pleased to report that we have made significant progress in understanding the importance of these efforts,” stated Det Insp Mark Gavin, Senior Investigation Officer at Operation Echosteep.

Gavin highlighted that smugglers are particularly targeting Apple products due to their high profitability overseas, with handsets fetching up to £300 and stolen devices selling for as much as $5,000 (£3,710) in China.

This increase in phone theft is mirrored in numerous cities globally, with around 80,000 devices reported stolen in London last year, according to the Met.

Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met’s lead on phone theft, stated: