A crackdown on prolific thieves using e-bikes and mopeds to snatch phones, jewellery and watches in London’s busiest tourist hotspot has resulted in 187 arrests and 157 vehicles seized. Plain-clothed and uniformed officers carried out patrols in hotspot areas of Westminster, where thieves have caused terror with ride-by attacks.
Targeted patrols and immediate action
Officers targeted offenders already known to police, or who had links to previous incidents. Specialist motorbike officers were able to act immediately if a theft occurred, using tracking data to follow stolen phones, and chased down criminals even through busy or pedestrianised areas. Arrests were made for a range of crimes including possession of dangerous weapons, drug-related offences, robbery and theft.
The arrests form part of the Met's wider work to tackle weapons and violent crime, with 676 firearms and 2,894 knives taken off the streets last year. In areas such as Lambeth and Southwark, and key tourist and transport hubs including Waterloo and London Bridge, e-bike related crime fell by 22% during the operation, which ran from February to July.
Operation leader comments
Det Supt Gareth Gilbert, who led the operation, said: “Through targeted operations like this, we are staying one step ahead of the criminals who use high-powered bikes or mopeds to steal from Londoners.
“By disrupting this criminality and making hundreds of arrests, we’re making London a safer place to live, work and visit. Our approach is working, with neighbourhood crime down 14 per cent over the past year and 13,000 fewer phone thefts.”
Further seizures and expanded fleet
Alongside targeting the offenders who use them, officers continue to crackdown on illegal and modified e-bikes used on London’s roads, with more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters seized so far this year. The Met has also expanded its fleet of high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes from five to 25, giving officers greater capability to pursue offenders who use illegal bikes to evade police.
Other arrests
A 17-year-old boy was spotted by officers riding a moped linked to an alleged phone theft earlier that morning. Officers attempted to stop the moped, prompting a short pursuit. The rider was intercepted and detained. He was arrested shortly afterwards and, during a search, a knife was recovered. The boy was charged with driving offences and possession of an offensive weapon. He was bailed to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 1 October.
A 22-year-old man wanted for robbery offences was spotted by officers riding an illegal e-bike. As officers approached, he accelerated towards police and struck an officer with his bike. He was swiftly detained by an assisting officer and arrested on suspicion of robbery and assaulting an emergency worker. During a search, officers found multiple stolen mobile phones wrapped in tin foil in an attempt to interfere with the phones tracking signals. He was charged and remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.
During a patrol of the Soho area, officers approached a 23-year-old man who immediately ran away, allegedly dropping a knife during the pursuit. He was detained and subsequently arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. He was bailed until October.
As part of a wider response to personal theft and robbery across London, theft of personal items and mobile phones has fallen by 15.6% in 2026, while robbery has decreased by 12.8%.
