Overview

• Scotland Yard says the suspected network moved up to 40,000 stolen smartphones from the UK to China in the past year.
• Police report recovering roughly 2,000 devices in coordinated raids and intercepting parcels bound for Hong Kong.
• Forty-six people were arrested over the past two weeks in what officers describe as the biggest UK action against phone theft.
• Detective Inspector Mark Gavin said the group targeted Apple devices and paid street thieves up to £300 per phone.
• Related arrests include suspected handling and money laundering, as officials urge manufacturers to strengthen anti-theft protections in a city that recorded just over 80,000 stolen phones in 2024.