The Metropolitan Police have issued an ultimatum to technology companies: make stolen mobile phones harder to reuse, or the government will step in with legislation. This warning accompanies a new partnership with Apple designed to disrupt the global criminal networks responsible for phone theft.
New Partnership with Apple
The agreement between the Met and Apple involves sharing intelligence on stolen devices to track their movement after theft. This collaboration aims to build a clearer picture of where stolen phones end up and whether they are being reactivated, reducing their value to criminals.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley stated: "I gave an ultimatum to tech firms – take urgent steps to prevent stolen phones from being resold and reused, or we will call on Government to step in and legislate." He emphasized that if stolen phones cannot be reactivated, their value collapses, cutting off the incentive to steal them.
Success in Reducing Phone Theft
The announcement comes as phone theft in Westminster has fallen by 50% following a targeted crackdown. The Met has made hundreds of arrests and recovered thousands of stolen phones. In April, three mobile phone handlers admitted handling stolen goods after the Met uncovered what officers described as the UK's largest mobile phone smuggling network, which trafficked up to 40,000 stolen devices from the UK to China between 2024 and 2025.
Call for Government Legislation
Alongside the partnership, the Met has called on the Government to introduce legislation requiring phone companies to publish data on stolen devices and reconnections. The force also asked the Home Office to prepare legislation for minimum technical standards to ensure stolen phones are effectively unusable if industry efforts fail.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "The Commissioner and I have been crystal clear that mobile phone crime cannot be solved by policing alone. Decisive and coordinated action from the mobile phone industry is long overdue to prevent stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed both here and across the globe."
Impact on Criminal Networks
Commissioner Rowley added: "This is an important step, but it must not stop here. If you are stealing phones in London, the reality is changing fast. The opportunities are shrinking, the risks are rising, and we are determined to dismantle this criminal model completely."
