Overview

• Two men in their 30s were charged and remanded after officers found phones in their car and about 2,000 more devices at linked properties.
• A two-week crackdown produced 46 arrests, including 11 suspects accused of robbing courier vans delivering the new iPhone 17.
• The investigation, codenamed Operation Echosteep, began after a shipment of roughly 1,000 iPhones bound for Hong Kong was discovered at a Heathrow warehouse in December 2024.
• Detectives say Apple products were specifically targeted, with street thieves paid up to £300 per handset and devices resold for up to $5,000 in China.
• Met commanders and London’s mayor urged Apple and Samsung to strengthen anti-theft measures, as the force reports personal robbery down 13% and theft down 14% this year.