Khaberni - The London Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that it has arrested 46 individuals in an operation to dismantle an international network suspected of smuggling nearly 40,000 stolen phones from the United Kingdom to China.
The police stated that this operation is considered the "largest" campaign against phone theft in the British capital, where many incidents of this type are recorded, especially around tourist landmarks.
The police investigation began in December 2024 after discovering a box containing about 1,000 iPhones, most of which were stolen, near Heathrow Airport in London, en route to Hong Kong.
The police arrested 46 individuals linked to this operation, including 11 people in an investigation into criminal gangs that attacked delivery vehicles carrying the new iPhone 17.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, "This is undoubtedly the biggest operation of its kind in UK history," adding that the police targeted the leaders of smuggling gangs, in addition to the thieves involved in phone snatching operations.
According to the capital's police, more than 80,000 mobile phones were stolen in London in the year 2024.
