Ever wondered where your stolen phone actually ends up?
For thousands of Londoners, the answer might be halfway across the world — in China.
In the UK’s biggest-ever crackdown on phone theft, police have busted a massive smuggling ring.
The gang is accused of shipping up to 40,000 stolen mobiles from Britain to China in just one year.
Eighteen suspects are in custody, and more than 2,000 stolen phones have been recovered.
“It all started with one iPhone,” said Detective Inspector Mark Gavin.
“A victim tracked their stolen phone to a warehouse near Heathrow — and we found nearly 900 more inside.”
London Phone Gang Busted
That lucky find unraveled an international operation suspected of exporting nearly half of all phones stolen in London.
Officers say the gang — mostly targeting iPhones — was paying local thieves up to £300 per handset, then selling them abroad for thousands.
“Criminals are moving from drugs to phones,” warned Policing Minister Sarah Jones. “It’s just that profitable.”
With thefts in London tripling since 2020, victims say the police haven’t been fast enough to act.
The Met insists progress is coming — more arrests, more patrols, even TikTok videos showing thieves being caught.
Still, as one Londoner put it: “You can replace a phone, but you can’t replace that feeling of always looking over your shoulder.”
