Thousands of phones seized from robbers in City of London summer crackdown on gangs 'profiting from misery'

"Detective Chief Superintendent Mandy Horsburgh, Head of Crime and Specialist Operations at the City of London Police, said: The City of London Police are at the forefront of the fight back against all those involved in phone theft criminality, whether this is snatching phones from people's hands, using distraction techniques, handing the stolen goods or trying to export devices out of the country. The net is closing in on those who profit from people's misery when they have their phones stolen."

"Thousands of stolen mobile phones were seized from robbers in the City of London this summer as part of police crackdown on gangs profiting from people's misery. A clampdown on phone-snatching across the Square Mile has resulted in eight arrests and 250 devices being recovered in the past week. Officers have adopted Al Capone tactics, targeting smaller offences, such as the illegal modification of e-bikes, to disrupt wider criminal networks. From one residential property address, officers seized ten phones, 40 sim cards and a folding knife with a locking mechanism."

City of London Police seized thousands of stolen mobile phones this summer and recovered 250 devices in one week, leading to eight arrests. Since July the force has obtained more than 3,000 convicted handsets, which are estimated to be worth up to 4 million, as part of a Safer City Streets campaign. Officers targeted smaller offences, including illegal e-bike modifications, to disrupt broader organised networks and used high-speed e-bikes operationally. From one address officers seized ten phones, 40 SIM cards and a folding knife. The eight men arrested, aged 19 to 69, were released on bail pending further investigation. Police have begun returning phones to owners and have sought public assistance.

Read at www.standard.co.uk