London's Metropolitan Police has launched its largest ever crackdown on mobile phone theft, targeting criminal gangs that use Snapchat to recruit children as young as 14 to steal the latest Apple iPhones. The gangs offer up to £380 for the newest iPhone 16 Max model, with payments made via the social media platform after the stolen phones are handed over to a 'handler'.
The Met believes the stolen phones are less protected and easier to reactivate for international markets in the Gulf and China. Samsung phones fetch lower prices as they are harder to reactivate overseas. In the past year, the force has reduced phone theft offences in London by 10,000, from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 last year – a fall of about 12.3 per cent.
To combat the problem, the Met is deploying drones, Sur-Ron e-bikes, and live facial recognition technology. Over the last four weeks, officers made 248 arrests related to phone theft and seized around 770 stolen phones. A further 122 people were arrested for other offences as part of the operation.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called on manufacturers and tech companies to do more to prevent stolen phones being reset, reused, or resold, stating that 'policing alone cannot solve this problem'. He also urged courts to prevent repeat offenders being bailed to reoffend.
Commander Andrew Featherstone noted that in hotspot areas such as the West End, theft is down by 30 per cent since April last year. Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the investment in new technology but stressed the need for the mobile phone industry to go further in preventing stolen phones being used and sold.
A Snapchat spokesperson said using the platform to organise illegal activity is strictly against their rules, and they encourage users to report such activity. They added that they continue to support law enforcement investigations.
