Overview

• Police say the ring moved up to 40,000 stolen smartphones from the UK to China over the past year, accounting for as much as 40% of London’s thefts.
• Officers recovered roughly 2,000 devices during raids after tracing a stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow last December.
• Arrest totals vary across related sweeps, with authorities reporting at least 18 suspects detained and some accounts citing as many as 46.
• Investigators say the network prioritized Apple devices, paying street thieves up to £300 per phone and reselling some abroad for sums reported as high as $5,000.
• Police leaders and London officials are pressing Apple, Google and Samsung to strengthen anti-theft protections and support prosecutions.